Hansi Flick frustrated with two Barcelona players in Sevilla defeat | OneFootball

Barcelona suffered a rather harrowing defeat to Sevilla just before the international break, losing 4-1 at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Not only did it relinquish their spot at the top of the table, but the manner of their loss opened up a series of questions for manager Hansi Flick to answer.

The German manager watched his side struggle in the first half, and the Catalans were lucky to be just a goal down at the break after conceding a number of clear chances to Sevilla. Despite conceding two late goals to seal the match, Flick had remarked that he was happy with the reaction in the second period – there were two players that were not part of that reaction.

Ronald Araujo under the microscope again

Central defender Ronald Araujo came in for heavy criticism last season, and none more so than after he was seen in the photo for two of Inter’s goals in the Champions League semi-final. After that he was backed up by Flick and Director of Football Deco, amid links to a summer exit.

Image via Fran Santiago/Getty Images

Yet Araujo was one of the players that Flick was not happy with say Sport, and withdrew him at half-time. He was replaced by Eric Garcia after a booking and the concession of a penalty, albeit a hotly debated one.

Gerard Martin hooked at half-time

Another player that paid for his yellow card and performance in the first half. The left side was a constant source of trouble for the Blaugrana, with Pau Cubarsi frequently required to come across and provide assistence on the flank. He was replaced by Alejandro Balde, also at the break.

Martin’s place under threat?

Early on in the season while Martin was not registered, Flick handed minutes to youngster Jofre Torrents. He played against RCD Mallorca, making his debut at 18, and received another further 16 minutes against Valencia last month. Now a regular in the squad, and with high hopes for the future, Martin will have to be on his toes with Torrents pushing for more involvement.