Hansi Flick does not deceive his players, nor the fans. With the exception of Jules Koundé, the gala starting eleven that the German coach has in mind took to the field at Espanyol. “It was a decision by the coach,” the Barcelona coach justified before the Frenchman was substituted. In return, Dani Olmo has regained his place after recovering his best form, after overcoming the injury to his right hamstring. Olmo returned Flick’s confidence with a double in the derby. “It was important to keep winning. Espanyol was going to come with everything, but we played a very good game. “I feel good, I wanted to come back,” said the Barça number 20. “Dani knows how to score and that is fundamental,” remarked the German coach.
The scoring capacity of Hansi Flick’s Barcelona opens the history books. They have already accumulated 40 in the League, the club’s second best scoring record after 12 games played, only surpassed by the 42 from the 1950-1951 season. “We are a team that has a lot of goals, both the forwards and the players who come from the second line. We played directly and created many chances,” Olmo stressed. Of the five major European leagues, Barça is the only team with four different players who have scored at least five goals: Lewandowski (14), Raphinha (seven) and Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo (five). Against Espanyol, however, Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal left empty-handed. And Flick did not hesitate to ask his boys for more. “The three forwards are excellent. Today they were not at their best level and I accept it, but in the next game I hope they are at their best again,” said the Barcelona coach. “We have very decisive players and if we are focused, things will happen on their own. Also when we are not so focused we make mistakes and it penalizes us,” said Héctor Fort.
According to Flick, it was not the best day for his forwards and it was not the best day for the players who had to compete to earn their place in the eleven, at least to make the German coach doubt. “We have added three points in the derby and I am happy. But I am not satisfied with the team’s performance in the second half and I have told the players. Sometimes you lose concentration and it has happened to us. “I accept it,” Flick analyzed. And, immediately afterwards, he vindicated Fermín and De Jong, who symbolized Barcelona’s imbalances in the second act after replacing Olmo and Casadó. “Fermín also had a great game against Bayern and the good thing is that we have many players,” defended Flick. He also supported the Dutchman. “De Jong is a player who occupies the 8 position and also the 6 position very well. It was not easy today to distribute positions, especially in the context of the turnovers we have committed.”
Ferran, absent
While De Jong, Fermín and Gavi seek to gain minutes to cast doubt on Flick’s certainties, Olmo regains his place by scoring goals. The La Roja midfielder took the MVP in a derby that, according to him, should have been postponed. “Perhaps it should not have been played, but from here I send all the encouragement and support to the people affected by the dana. At the club we are going to help in whatever way we can,” Olmo revealed. His teammate, the Valencian Ferran Torres (injured), was not in Montjuïc. “Today I don’t even have the strength to go to the stadium to see my teammates play. Frustration and indignation with our rulers, be they one or the other. We need the entire country to step forward. This could happen anywhere. We feel the warmth and support of people from all over the world. The State is failed,” Ferran states in his writing that he published on his Instagram account. “I understand perfectly that Ferran was not qualified to be here and I told him that I understood, he would just be missing. There are much more important things than football,” concluded Hansi Flick.
