Barcelona extended their perfect start to the 2024/25 La Liga campaign to six games as they thrashed Villarreal 5-1 away from home on Sunday.
The victory came at some cost as the Catalans lost their captain, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, to a serious injury with the German shot-stopper’s season all but over.
But there were plenty of positives for manager Hansi Flick on the night as the attacking trident of Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal stood out with a brilliant performance once again.
Meanwhile, the rotations he made to the starting lineup also worked out well, with Pablo Torre, in particular, standing out on his first start of the season.
Flick reflects on the match
Discussing how things went down during the match and the emphatic victory after the midweek loss to AS Monaco, Flick said:
“We won 1-5 in Villarreal. It was a fantastic game from both teams. Very attractive, back and forth. I congratulate my team, they did very well.
“Villarreal had clear chances. Putting pressure on the opponent is part of our style. We have to be compact. We’ve done very well, it’s a risk but we’ve been successful so far in La Liga.”
The German tactician also praised the team’s attitude and fighting spirit, saying: “I’m proud of how the team overcomes adversity.
“Villarreal is a team that never gives up and we kept looking for more goals. And that’s what I want, to keep pressing where the ball is, for 90 minutes or 94 minutes of the match.”
Individual performances and injuries
As mentioned earlier, the win last night was soured by the injury of Ter Stegen, who is unlikely to play again this season.
When asked about his compatriot’s condition after the game, Flick replied: “We have to wait and see. It will be a serious injury, he felt it, you could see it.”
When asked if Barcelona would sign a replacement for Ter Stegen, the manager hit back saying this was not the time to ask and answer such questions.
“I don’t like this question right after the game. First, we have to see what happens with Marc, he is our captain. I’m very sad about what happened. You understand that I don’t want to answer this question. I haven’t been able to speak to Ter Stegen,” he said.
The manager was also full of praise for Raphinha and his performance on the night, but did not forget the contributions of Lewandowski and Yamal either.
“Since the first day he’s [Raphinha’s] been that good. I saw a player who gives everything for this club. Without the ball, how he defends, how he keeps the ball. Both Raphinha and Lewandowski. Also Lamine, to have them is very good,” he said.
Yamal was on the receiving end of a reckless challenge from an opponent late in the game as frustrations boiled over in the Villarreal camp. As such, the manager insisted that the youngster needs to be protected, saying:
“We have to protect all the players. Lamine has a lot of quality, but also Raphinha and Robert and everyone. We are playing as a team, united. The players play for each other and that’s what’s important.”
Regarding the team’s injury woes and how the team is fighting hard in the face of adversity, Flick said:
“The injuries to Bernal and Ter Stegen are an accident and Ferran’s card was our fault. We are doing well and the attitude is very good. We are focused on playing football and doing what we have to do. And enjoy it. I’m very happy to be coaching this team.”
Source: AS
