Coming on the back of dominant displays, a Catalan derby win was much expected from FC Barcelona, and they delivered the same. Having put 3 past Catalan rivals Espanyol within the first half an hour itself, the Blaugrana side comfortably marched to a win. While certainly, the side didn't look at its best in the second half, conceding a goal in the process, the players need appreciation for the way they secured the win within the first half only.
Hansi Flick reflects upon FC Barcelona's Catalan derby win against Espanyol
However, as was expected, this seems to have intrigued Barca boss Flick, according to whom the side lost a lot of balls, upon which they need improvisation going further. Speaking on Barca's unconvincing second-half performance, Flick remarked,
""We lost a lot of balls, and that's one of the reasons why Espanyol was able to pull one back. We have to improve on that.""Hansi Flick
But, still, the manager, being the brilliant leader he is, didn't fail to acknowledge the aspects on which the side aced in the matchday. One of the pivotal reasons for Barca's comfortable win was their superstar Dani Olmo's brilliant start to the fixture. Returning to the starting XI after a long time, the attacking midfielder struck a brace within the first half itself, having secured a key win much soon for FC Barcelona.
Deservedly winning the MOTM for his exceptional performance, the player received loads of praise from Hansi Flick. The Barca boss mentioned,
""We are very happy that Dani Olmo is back. We have won in part thanks to him.""Hansi Flick
Going forward, FC Barcelona is scheduled to lock horns with Crvena Zvezda on the UCL matchday. Being currently placed at the 10th spot in the table, having 6 points from their 3 fixtures so far, Barca would want to move up, thus making the fixture a must-win for the Blaugrana side. Understandably, Flick demands an improved performance in the fixture, who had this to say after a sloppy second-half display,
""I told the team that I would accept it because they have done a great job so far, but on Wednesday we need a better performance.""Hansi Flick
Overall, FC Barcelona has now moved to 33 points in the La Liga campaign, having won 11 out of 12 matchdays. Being scheduled for a UCL matchday ahead, Barca fans would hope the side to continue winning ways, strengthening their chances of major titles this season.