Hansi Flick talks Pedri, Yamal, Ferran and more after Athletic Club 0-1 Barcelona | OneFootball

Barcelona maintained their solid lead at the top of the league table thanks to a narrow win over Athletic Club on Saturday night.

It was not the best of performances for the Catalans, who had to rely on a brilliant goal from Lamine Yamal in the second half to secure all three points.

In light of the victory, Hansi Flick spoke to the media in the post-match press conference, where he talked about Pedri’s game time, Yamal’s goal and the clean sheet, among other things.

What Flick said after Barcelona’s win over Athletic Club

First and foremost, Flick was asked about Barcelona’s win over Athletic and how he felt about securing all three points.

“Winning in Bilbao isn’t easy. We had to manage the minutes after Tuesday’s game. It’s good because we kept a clean sheet and won the three points,” he said. “I say the same thing as last season. One less game, three more points.”

The clean sheet, in particular, was crucial for Barcelona as the home side had more than enough opportunities to score a goal.

“When we play our style, we sometimes concede a lot of chances. It doesn’t matter how high up the pitch we defend. A clean sheet is always good,” he said.

Yamal’s goal helped Barcelona secure three points. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Flick went on to talk about the atmosphere in the team, especially after failing to complete the dream comeback against Atletico Madrid in the Copa Del Rey.

“I think there’s a special atmosphere in this team, and I value it. I value how they’re together, their attitude. Everything is fantastic, I’m happy.

“After the 3-0, despite being eliminated, I saw a good atmosphere in training. I see them focused on their work, and that’s important. It wasn’t easy to win here, and it’s fantastic to have done it,” he said.

Talking about certain individuals, Flick was asked about how he plans to manage the game time of Pedri, who has recently recovered from an injury.

“Pedri makes everyone better. He’s a game-changer. He links up well with everyone. Olmo also played better in the second half when he came on.

“Pedri makes everyone better; he’s different. But what I saw from the team was also important, that they fought as a unit,” he said.

A key performer for Barcelona against Athletic Club was Lamine Yamal, whose superb goal helped the team secure the three points. He was one of the team’s best performers on the night, even though it was far from an ideal night for his standards.

“I don’t think Lamine had his best game today, but he decided it… When he has space… he can create chances. And he practices these kinds of plays that can win you a game,” he said.

While Yamal has been scoring goals for fun lately, notably even surpassing Lionel Messi’s tally in his first four seasons at the club, Ferran Torres is struggling with form.

“A number nine is always valued for his goals. Right now, he lacks confidence. He’s in good form; he’s fast and usually scores. But it could be that he’s having a run of bad luck and his confidence isn’t at 100%. We need to work on that,” Flick acknowledged.

Finally, the Barcelona coach explained the reasoning behind the decision to take off Marc Bernal. “He had some physical problem and he had to leave,” he concluded.

Source: Diario AS