Hansi Flick talks Araujo, Pedri, Cubarsi, Martin, Espart after Newcastle United 1-1 Barcelona | OneFootball

Despite not being at their best, FC Barcelona were able to salvage a draw as they faced Newcastle United in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie last night. After the game, as reported by Mundo Deportivo, Hansi Flick talked to the press and acknowledged the difficulty of the encounter while praising the defensive commitment shown by his team.

The German tactician described the contest as:

“A very difficult match, in a stadium with a great atmosphere and against a very intense opponent.”

While satisfied with the result, Flick admitted that Barcelona struggled when in possession and highlighted the need for improvement in that aspect of their game:

“With the ball, we did not play a good match. We lost too many balls, and that is exactly what Newcastle want. We knew that when they pass the ball, they are very quick. It was not easy, but I am very happy with my team, especially with the defence; we had a very good defensive performance on the pitch.”

The Barcelona manager suggested fatigue may have played a role, but still insisted that his team must perform better with the ball in future matches:

Ronald Araujo was once again to be blamed for the Newcastle United goal, but Flick still believed the Uruguayan put in a good shift:

“He did his job. We didn’t want to change too many positions. It was clear that we wanted to play with Pau Cubarsi and Gerard Martin as centre-backs, and I asked Ronald if he could play as a full-back, and he played a good game. In the end, he was tired after running so much and didn’t get back at the right moment, but we had players in the right position to correct it.”

Hansi Flick also took the opportunity to highlight the progress of his young squad and the promising partnership developing in central defence.

“We have a very young team, and especially the two centre-backs are doing a fantastic job. In the last matches, it’s very good to see how they are improving and how they play together. We have to improve; we have great potential, and we have to do things better.”

Looking ahead to the upcoming fixtures in both the Champions League and La Liga, the German coach emphasised the importance of recovery for his players after a physically demanding night:

“At this moment, we need to rest. The players’ job is to rest and prepare well for Sunday’s match. We will have several days to prepare it. There will be no real break, but that is normal. When you play at this level in the Champions League and La Liga, it’s normal to have games every two or three days, and we have to adapt.”

Despite Barcelona not producing their most fluent display, Flick made it clear that he was satisfied with the outcome and praised the depth of his squad:

“There are no excuses. We had enough players here, and you could even see it when Xavi Espart came on — he did very well. That is what I want to see, and I am happy about it.“

The Barcelona coach was clear that he would have to carefully manage Pedri’s minutes:

For now, Barcelona go into the second leg in a stronger position, as they will be playing at home. However, the team would have to put in a significantly better shift in that game, and this is one aspect that Hansi Flick would have to work on in the coming days.