"Pedri is at a brutal, incredible level"

FC Barcelona's coach Hansi Flick said after the 1-0 win over Benfica that he was “very proud” of the team, which had to play with one man down from the 22nd minute after Cubarsi was sent off.

On the performance of Polish goalkeeper Szczesny, who made eight great saves tonight, the coach assured that his performances have been “fantastic”. “We had a good goalkeeper,” insisted the German coach.

In general, he praised the overall work of the entire team, “who ran a lot” and “defended as a team,” said Flick, who described the match as “fantastic”.

“We are in a good situation, but in football everything is possible. Tuesday will be complicated, tough and difficult. These Champions League matches are complicated for everyone,” added the German coach.

Flick warned of the dangers of the return leg: “After being down to 10 men, it wasn't easy and we did very well, but we still have to play the second leg. Benfica is a good team and we have to watch out”.

In addition to his satisfaction with the goalkeeper's performance, he said of Pedri that “he is at a brutal level” and stated that “we are happy to have him”.

Regarding the substitution of Dani Olmo, he explained that he changed him after the red card: “It's a decision I have to make. It's not easy to take a player out and it's not easy for a player to understand, but the 4-4-1 was the best formation”.

“What happened to Pau happens in football, and today it happened to us. We all make mistakes. The most important thing is how we responded, and the reaction was very good,” he concluded about Pau Cubarsi's early sending-off.

 

March 6, 2025