FC Barcelona wasted yet another opportunity to extend their lead over Real Madrid, as they were to a 2-2 draw by Real Betis on Saturday evening.
It was a disappointing result for the Catalans, which will allow Real Madrid to seize the top spot on the league table if they win their two matches in hand.
Speaking to the press after the game, Hansi Flick addressed Barcelona’s poor performance against Betis, including the equaliser that came during injury time.
Hansi Flick reflects on Betis draw
The German sounded rather frustrated after the game, pointing out that it was important for Barcelona to win all three points.
“I’m disappointed with what happened on the pitch. This was a match we needed to win,” he said. “We know we have the quality to win, but we must prove it.”
Flick added that Barcelona were too slow at times and lacked control against the Betis machinery.
“We have to play more quickly. We were too slow today. Lots of long balls. It’s not our strong suit and we have to change,” he said. “We only started playing well after the goal.”
It was a poor showing from Barcelona (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
“When we have more control, we find better positions and play faster. We were very bad today, very late, very slow. Giving a long pass is taking the easy way out and we don’t want to play like that,” he added.
Flick on his red card
A major highlight of the game saw Hansi Flick being sent off from the touchline after he protested against the referee’s decision to award Real Betis a penalty.
“I don’t understand my red card. I didn’t say anything to anybody. I had a reaction, something I said to myself. This has never happened to me before,” he said.
The German went on to confirm that Barcelona won’t appeal against his red card, stating, “I don’t think Barça will present an appeal for my red card. It’s fine.”
Flick on substitutions and the road ahead
Flick made a series of tactical changes in the game, especially after the hour mark when the likes of Frenkie de Jong, Ferran Torres, Gavi and Pau Victor entered the field.
Defending his decision to change things around, the German stated, “We needed fresh legs, that’s why I subbed out important players.”
It must be noted that Flick’s substitutions did not really work out, with de Jong, in particular, giving away a penalty moments after coming on.
Moving forward, Flick admitted that Barcelona must improve, especially when it comes to away matches.
“We have a very young team and we must improve a lot. We have to be stronger for away matches,” he concluded.
Source: Barça One