Barcelona and Atletico Madrid played out a remarkable cup tie on Tuesday, with the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final finishing 4-4 at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. While it was an incredible watch for the neutral, it was incredibly frustrating for the Catalans’ head coach, Hansi Flick.
As per Diario AS, Flick spoke to the media during his post-match press conference, and it was here that he lamented his side’s defensive performance. He admitted that work needs to be done for things to get better.
“We have to work on this. We played a great game, but we conceded four goals and it is too many. Our attitude and mentality was wonderful after (going 2-0 behind), but we have to work on minor details.
“All teams try to find solutions and do different things. We are also strong in possession, but they have a fantastic team. We defended well for 75 minutes, and then we have failed. The fourth goal we conceded seemed incredible to me, we will have to talk. But the most important thing is how we play. And it’s important for me to know that the team is confident, especially with how young they are. It gives me confidence for the future. I’m sad and frustrated for the last ten minutes because for a while we were at the highest level. I’m happy with 95% of things, but not with the other five. That is why we have to work.”
Flick also spoke on Pedri, who delivered another sensational performance against Atleti. He scored Barcelona’s first goal of the evening with a fine finish from the edge of the box, while his overall play was one again exemplary.
“He cannot be described. He enjoys playing football, and you can see it in training and on the pitch. Yes, you see that he enjoys playing football.”
