Following their two defeats in two games against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, FC Barcelona returned to action in La Liga as they hosted Alaves at the Spotify Camp Nou on Saturday. The Catalans returned to winning ways in style in this game, as [they won with a blazing 6-1 scoreline](https://barcanewsnetwork.com/fermin-9-5-yamal-9-0-fc-barcelona-6-1-deportivo-alaves-player-ratings/).
This was a particularly special match for Hansi Flick, as this win took his wins tally with the Blaugrana team to 100. He reached this number in 131 games, five more than Luis Enrique needed, but eight fewer than Pep Guardiola.
As [Mundo Deportivo](https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20261101/1004245580/flick-me-gusto-vi.html) has reported, the Barcelona coach talked to the press after the match and expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance:
**“I am extremely satisfied. We dominated the first half and created chances by exploiting the spaces. I really liked what I saw. We played well.”**
Despite the scoreline, the German coach assured that this was not an easy game:
**“Alavés defended very well; they had a lot of players behind the ball. We knew they would make good transitions, but we controlled the match. We managed to attack the small spaces they left us, and that was very good.”**
Flick was unable to give any update about the injured players:
**“There are many absentees in defence, and we don’t know when they will return.”**
The Barcelona coach was happy with the performances of Frenkie de Jong and Brian Farinas in the center of the defense:
**“I asked Frenkie and Brian whether they could play there, and I am grateful for their work. Brian deserved to play because of his professional attitude in training. He performed at a good level and linked up very well with Lamine.”**
The German tactician was also happy with Lamine Yamal’s performance, who scored two goals in this match:
**“It was important for him to get some rest, and he was fantastic. That was what I wanted to see, from Fermín and Raphinha as well, following the two defeats.”**
Flick highlighted one game from his stint on the Barcelona bench that he remembers particularly fondly:
**“I don’t usually look back at the past, but I am very happy. The best match? Winning the first Clásico in Madrid was special. I remember it fondly, and this will be good for the coming weeks.”**
The Barcelona manager explained why he substituted out Pedri at half time:
**“Because he had a yellow card and there was no need to take any risks.”**
On the other hand, he also explained why Rodri Hernandez played the full 90 minutes:
**“We initially considered Rodri, Frenkie and Fermín as substitutes, but then we decided to do something different.”**
Despite the upcoming match against Atletico Madrid, Flick was focused only on the Champions League match against Aston Villa:
**“First, we have to face Aston Villa. We will be playing at home, and the Champions League is always a special competition with a unique character. We only have two days to recover after today’s match. Therefore, our attention is now entirely focused on the players’ recovery, and then we will begin preparing for the match against Aston Villa.”**
Lastly, the Barcelona coach was again unable to provide any update about his injured defenders:
**“We don’t know anything yet. Their progress is good, but we are not in the best situation. We have to get through these two matches. I hope to have one or two of them back. Christensen is close to rejoining the group, but then there is the international break, and we are not going to take any risks because we need them for the rest of the season.”**
Following the two defeats in their last two games, FC Barcelona needed just such a big win to restore their morale. Hopefully, they will carry forward this momentum in the upcoming two difficult matches as well and would avoid losing any more points in either the UCL or La Liga.