Hansi Flick was pleased with another emphatic win for Barca, but admitted it could have been a game to save energy ahead of a tough final stretch of the season coming up in the calendar.
Hansi Flick said on Thursday after his team’s win over Valencia that took them into the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey that he was very satisfied with the players who are not usually in the starting line-up and pointed out that they will need everyone in a final stretch of the season that he predicts will be tough.
“I told the team that we have tough weeks until the end and it’s good for everyone to show their best and show how good they are. I’m happy to have beaten Valencia at home. It’s important that everyone shows their best,” said Flick.
The German coach gave Ferran as an example of this good performance and was very satisfied with how he played as a ‘9’. “I’m happy for him because he has had some difficult moments and today he scored three goals,” he said.
Despite the superiority shown by his team, Flick said they have room for improvement and admitted that he would have liked them to be a bit more tentative when the game was all but over.
“Of course we can improve. There are times when it’s better to hold the ball back and save energy because there’s another game on Sunday. I like the fact that we are always looking for more goals but today for example there were moments when I would have preferred Fermín not to go running to take a corner. We are a young team who like to play like that, but there are times when I would like a bit more control,” he concluded.
The German also had praise for Pedri: “You can’t compare him, he’s incredible and one of the best in his position. He enjoys playing with the ball. When he is under pressure, he wants the ball and plays for the team. I am very happy to have him here and I hope he will be here for many years to come”.