Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised his team’s narrow victory over Alaves, highlighting that his players were “under immense pressure” following Real Madrid’s loss to Espanyol. He also had warm words for Lamine Yamal, calling him a “genius.”
“This is a good situation for us, better than it was before, but we had to win today. The team played well; they were under a lot of pressure and responded brilliantly. In the second half, we tried to score with great opportunities. Alaves defended well, they did a good job, but we deserved the three points,” Flick summarized.
Speaking from the press room at the Olympic Stadium Lluis Companys, Flick acknowledged that the interruption following the clash between Pablo Paez Gavira (Gavi) and Tomas Conechny “did not help restore the game’s rhythm.” He added, “Gavi always wants to play, but we had to be cautious. The doctor decided to substitute him, and I believe he is on his way home now; he’s fine. Nothing happened, and that’s good news.”
Lamine Yamal demonstrates motion blur. pic.twitter.com/Z1CyJgeUZ7
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Flick also pointed out that Frenkie de Jong “has improved significantly in defense” and praised Robert Lewandowski, who scored the winning goal, referring to him as “the best No. 9 in the world in the penalty area.”
The coach reserved special praise for Lamine Yamal, calling him a “genius.” “I’m very happy that he’s playing for Barcelona. At 17 years old, he performs exceptionally well in every game,” Flick said.
With 45 points, Barcelona remains third in La Liga, trailing leaders Real Madrid (49 points) and Atletico Madrid (48 points). The victory reduced their gap to just four points, keeping their title hopes alive. Flick’s praise for Yamal inspires optimism about the young player’s and the team’s future.