Hansi Flick concerned by Barcelona players’ fitness ahead of Atletico Madrid showdown

Hansi Flick concerned by Barcelona players’ fitness ahead of Atletico Madrid showdown

Barcelona returned to winning ways on Saturday with a 4-1 victory over Espanyol in their derby clash at the Spotify Camp Nou. It was more nervy than the hosts would have liked it to be, but in the end, they got the job done.

As per Diario AS, head coach Hansi Flick offered a brief assessment of the match, while he also expressed his delight at Ferran Torres ending his goal drought with a brace.

“We had dominated the first half and were winning 2-0. Everything seemed clear, but the game changed with the 2-1. Still, we can play better, but I’m happy for (Torres). He is in a good moment. I see it in training. Logically, he is happy with the goals.”

Flick: La Liga not done yet

The victory means Barcelona are now nine points clear of Real Madrid with seven matches to go. They are overwhelming favourites to retain their title, although Flick is not counting his chickens yet.

“It’s not done. We have to do our homework. We can’t say it’s already done. This attitude is wrong and I don’t accept it. Until it’s tied up and well tied, we’ll have to play our best football. The important thing is the mentality of this team and we’ll continue to do that. And I want us to show that on Tuesday.

“We don’t think negatively. On the contrary, I always think positively. I think about what we’ve achieved so far and it’s fantastic considering all the injuries we’ve had; and that we are now recovering.”

Flick concerned about lack of rest for players

Due to the fact that it was 2-1 up until the 86th minute, Barcelona were not able to give sufficient rest to the likes of Pedri and Lamine Yamal. Flick is concerned about this going into next week’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Atletico Madrid, although he does not see it as being too impactful.

“Yes, but we managed the minutes and, in the end, the story of the game was different to what we expected after it went 2-1. We have two days to recover. Players usually know how to recover in that time. I think we’ll be ready for Tuesday. We want to go to the Metropolitano and fight well against Atletico.”

Flick also offered a message to the Barcelona fans ahead of that match, as the Catalans seek to overcome a two-goal deficit at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.

“We don’t need a miracle, just play our best football. And we can do that. There are many possible things. After 3-1, we scored for 4-1. I know Atletico are a fantastic team, but so are we. We will fight and I’m sure the fans will support us there and be ready.”