"Ferran deserved to start" - Flick on Lewandowski dropped to the bench

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said his team had “dominated for 80 minutes” Atletico Madrid on Tuesday in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals, but was “very disappointed with the last 10 minutes and the result” after letting a two-goal lead slip away (4-4). “It's not easy to find answers now. We are disappointed with the result, but the game we played was pretty good. I focus more on this to keep the players' confidence high, although we have to talk about the goals conceded. Four goals are too many. We have to learn from this,” he analysed.

Flick called Atletico “a fantastic team” and highlighted their offensive power. “They have brought out three strikers in the second half, they have a lot of potential and are difficult to defend. If you give them the chance to finish off moves, they are always dangerous,” he added.

He stressed that he is “happy with the reaction” of his players after conceding two goals in the first 6 minutes and pointed out that he has “a young team” when asked about the reasons that led Barcelona to concede two more goals in the final 10 minutes, in which they lacked “energy”, as he acknowledged.

“The tie will start 0-0 again in four weeks and we are not giving up. We will be in a position to win again,” he said. In addition, he praised Pedri, of whom he highlighted that “he enjoys playing”, and also Pau Cubarsi, of whom he said that, “at 18 years old, he plays like an expert who has played 350 games in the league”. Finally, Flick, who stressed that his team was “good on the ball” and had “the best version of many players”, explained that he left Robert Lewandowski on the bench and started Ferran Torres was due to the fact that the Valencian “deserved it” for his recent performances.

 

February 26, 2025