‘I’m not happy with the first half’ — Hansi Flick delivers honest verdict after Barcelona beat Mallorca 3-0 | OneFootball

FC Barcelona remain leaders of the La Liga table, and their position will not change this weekend after they beat Mallorca last night. With a 3–0 win over Mallorca, the Catalans continue their journey towards another La Liga title.

As reported by Mundo Deportivo, Hansi Flick also spoke to the press after the game and, while expressing satisfaction with some aspects of the performance, criticised his team for certain shortcomings.

The German coach did not appear too happy with how his team played in the first half:

“I’m not happy with the first half; we didn’t play at our level or with our usual intensity. The game was too slow. But in the end, we got three points, three goals and a clean sheet. It was a good day.”

The Barcelona manager also revealed how he interacted with the team during the half-time break:

“I asked them if they were satisfied, and they told me no. In the second half, we improved our positioning, the speed of the pass, and our overall dynamics. That’s how we want to play.”

Flick expressed some disagreements with the referee’s decisions as well:

“The action on Lamine was a penalty, and I told the referee. There was no reason to caution me.”

The German tactician also revealed why Lamine Yamal was taken off and praised his performance:

“We have to manage his minutes. He’s enjoying himself, but he wasn’t at his best in the first half. In the second half, he was very good. He’s a fantastic player and scored a great goal. I asked him if he wanted to come off, and he said yes.”

The Barcelona trainer also expressed his happiness on Marc Bernal’s goal:

“You all saw it: the bench, the stadium… everyone celebrated his goal. For him, it’s incredible, and it’s another step towards getting back to his best level.”

Tommy also made his debut in this game, and Flick recognized the contributions of La Masia:

“It’s our way of doing things. We have great respect for the work of La Masia. Tommy has potential, it’s a dream for him, and I love seeing this connection between players who’ve come through here.”

The German coach also highlighted the qualities of the debutant midfielder:

“He can play in different positions, as a six or at right-back. His body language is top-notch, he plays with his head up, looks for the best-positioned teammates, and makes good decisions. He’s very mature for his 19 years. He’s like Frenkie — he could be his little brother. I want Tommy to keep training with us to continue growing and to get minutes, and we’ll see about next season.”

In the end, the Barcelona coach was left hoping for a better performance right from the start in the upcoming Copa del Rey match against Atletico Madrid:

There is no doubt that Atletico Madrid will be a very tough rival for Barcelona in their quest for the Copa del Rey title. Hopefully, Hansi Flick will be able to get his team to remain competitive throughout the tie to make it to the final.