The Blaugrana managed to pick up three poitns but struggled at times against their La Liga opponents
Barcelona got back on track Sunday night with a 3-1 win over Elche, responding well after last weekend’s El Clasico defeat.
Goals from Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford gave Hansi Flick’s side a much-needed boost in their domestic campaign.
After the game, Flick spoke about the performance, and admitted it wasn’t all smooth sailing but felt his players showed the right attitude when it mattered.
“I’ve seen things that we’ve done well, but we also have to improve. We have to fight. Today we had an opponent who wanted the ball and it wasn’t easy.
“We had to press and we did, that’s why we scored the first two goals and created more chances.”
Barcelona ended the match with less than half of the ball, just 49% possession, but Flick wasn’t too bothered by that. With several key players missing, he knows his side isn’t quite at full strength yet.
“It’s not difficult to have control without Pedri. We can do that too. Pedri is an excellent player and we want him in every game, but without him we have to manage it. We can improve in many things, and we will. It’s three more points and we’ll keep going.
“It’s not easy, we have many players who have not been able to play in the last few games. We lack quality.
“The last two training sessions have been very good, one of the best this season. We have to talk about ball possession, we were not quite good in this. The most important thing is the three points. We have taken a step forward and we have to be positive.”
Managing Yamal’s Minutes
Flick also gave an update on Lamine Yamal after the teenager found the net again despite not being at full fitness.
“He has to manage his injury. Train, get treatment. It’s a good step for him. We can’t say that he is at 100%. We have to manage it.”
Praise for Fermin Lopez
The coach also highlighted the contribution of Fermin Lopez, who stood out with another lively performance.
“He has done very good things, but like the whole team. He is not 100% and he must improve some things, but like the whole team. In recent games, he has always been involved in the chances and goals.”
It wasn’t a perfect display from Barcelona, but after the frustration of El Clasico, Flick will be happy to see his team show character and take another step forward.
