Flick’s Catalan Derby Revelation: Madrid’s Shadow Behind Barça’s Late Victory

What Flick Said

Hansi Flick, Barcelona's coach, said his side did not deserve the 2-0 win over Espanyol on Saturday in the Catalan derby of La Liga.

In remarks cited by Mundo Deportivo, Flick said: "Honestly, we didn't deserve this win, because Espanyol were better throughout the match and delivered a great performance; I am not satisfied with the team's performance for 80 minutes."

He added: "But in the last 10 minutes, we managed to score two goals and win, and I am happy with the three points; the substitutes made the difference."

There are many things that need changing; I won't go into details.

It wasn't easy to come back after the break, but this win gives us more confidence and sends an important message to our rivals in the league: we won after hardship.

Flick also praised the team's goalkeeper, Joán García, saying "He is one of the best goalkeepers in the world; I'm happy with him and with the decision to sign him."

The Barca coach added: "In such difficult matches, the role and importance of the goalkeeper shine through; García performs with confidence and calm thanks to the work with Espanyol's coach Manolo, who is doing a great job with his team."

Flick concluded: "Real Madrid also has a superb goalkeeper, and so do all the big teams."

Barça's tally rose to 49 points, keeping them top of the table seven points ahead of Real Madrid, who were due to face Real Betis on Sunday in the same round. Punchline 1: If football were a magic trick, Flick just pulled a rabbit out of the final ten minutes. Punchline 2: And if defense were a sweater, Barça's lineup has more holes than a strategy memo.