Hansi Flick talks Gavi, Araújo, García, Frenkie, Lewandowski, and Yamal after 1-0 Barcelona win over Alavés | OneFootball

FC Barcelona continued their winning run in La Liga with another victory in their last match against Alavés. The Catalans emerged 1-0 winners in a match that was anything but easy for them.

Robert Lewandowski was the one who made the difference, as he scored the only goal in the game in the second half. The first half was rather uneventful, and Hansi Flick had to make some changes in his team at halftime to get a result.

As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the German tactician commented on these changes as he spoke to Barca One after the game. Talking about his substitutions, the Barcelona trainer said:

“In the second half, we focused on positioning and playing with short distances between the players. They did very well. We made it clear to the players which spaces to attack, and it worked to find positions to score. The second half was much better.”

“It is very important for the players to feel the trust that we, as coaches, have in them. It has to do with positioning and the dynamics of starting plays with a good pass.”

Further commenting on the specific changes he made at half-time, Flick continued:

“In the first half, the stoppage due to injuries didn’t help us regain our rhythm, so in the second half, we thought about players who could move the ball faster.”

Hansi Flick also explained his decision to substitute Ronald Araújo with Eric García at half-time:

Also, Araujo had a yellow card, so we had to be careful with that. Eric helps us a lot with the ball and defends very well—he responds well in any system, and we never considered letting him go. We see him in training, and his mentality is top-notch.”

The Barcelona head coach also commented on the improvements shown by Frenkie de Jong:

“He has a lot of confidence with the ball and helps us a lot. You know him better than I do—he had a serious injury, but he’s back, and with the ball, he helps us a lot. He’s very good, and his defending is better than before; he has improved a lot.”

Flick was particularly full of praise for Robert Lewandowski, who added another goal to his La Liga tally:

“Lewandowski is the best striker. Inside the box, he is the best. That’s where we need him. It’s his job, and it was important for him to score and be present in such an important match. I’m very happy with the team overall; they tried to score goals. It wasn’t easy because the opposition defended well. It was a tough game that required a lot of effort.”

The German tactician also commented on the decision to substitute Gavi after his head collision with an Alavés player:

“He wanted to keep playing, but it’s not his decision; it’s the doctor’s decision, and we have to respect that. He’s a player who always wants to play, but we have to take care of him. It’s not up to me or Gavi to decide; the doctor decides. They had to examine him, and I know that he’s already at home.”

One of the highlights of this game was one of the dribbling runs that Lamine Yamal showcased in the 4th minute of the game, about which Flick said:

“I’m not going to do that [Compare Yamal with Messi or Maradona]. Lamine is a genius, what he’s done in some plays is incredible, it’s magnificent. At 17, he’s doing very well in every match against opponents who aren’t easy because they defend very well and are strong.”

Lastly, the Barcelona coach refrained from commenting on the difference between refereeing in La Liga and Bundesliga:

“I don’t look back, and I haven’t been in the Bundesliga for a while. The referees’ job isn’t easy, and they do the best they can. I’ll never speak about how a referee does their job.”