Legendary manager slams Barcelona performance in El Clasico

Barcelona saw their El Clasico winning streak come to an end on Sunday, as they were defeated 2-1 by Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. It was a difficult afternoon for the Catalans, who were nowhere near their best.

A number of Barcelona players were off the boil, with the most notable being Lamine Yamal. But as a team collective, Real Madrid outplayed them, which will be a big concern for head coach Hansi Flick, who served a one-match touchline ban at the Bernabeu, having been sent off last weekend.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had his say on the match (via Diario AS), as he made it clear that Real Madrid were far and away the better team over Barcelona.

“El Clasico was a bit like a duel of men against boys. Real Madrid’s defence was much stronger than Barcelona’s. In attack, Real Madrid always seemed capable of scoring, while Barcelona seemed ineffective. They had a lot of the ball, but they never really seemed able to score. I give credit to Xabi Alonso, he balanced his team well.”

Injuries played their part for Barcelona

While it is true that Barcelona were outplayed, it is also true that they were without a number of key players. Joan Garcia, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski were all absent due to injury, and had they been available, there is scope to suggest that they would have competed better.

For now, it is back to the drawing board for Flick, who must figure out a way for Barcelona to drastically improve amid their ongoing injury woes. They have a much-needed free midweek before hosting Elche next weekend, and the German manager will be sure to work on things on the training pitch ahead of that match in Catalonia.