FC Barcelona had to work very hard to get a 0-1 victory over Benfica in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie held at Estadio de la Luz in Lisbon.
The Catalans had to play a major part of the game with only 10 men, as Pau Cubarsi was sent off in the 22nd minute. As a result, the rest of the team had to work extra hard to ensure they ended this match with an advantage ahead of the second leg of the tie.
Almost all of the Blaugrana players worked their socks off, and this was visible in the way they were fatigued by the time the referee blew the final whistle. Meanwhile, Hansi Flick also had to take some difficult decisions to ensure his team remained competitive on the night.
One such decision was to take off Dani Olmo, as the Spaniard could have proved to be an important player in attack, but Barcelona had to bring in another defender to cover for Cubarsi, and Olmo was replaced with Ronald Araujo.
Naturally, the Spanish midfielder was not too happy about the situation, and there was also not a lot of time to make explanations for him as Flick had to provide instructions to make his side adapt to the significantly changed nature of the game.
Furthermore, another such difficult decision came early in the second half, when Lamine Yamal was subbed off with the score still tied at 0-0. The youngster left the field with a very serious countenance and did not look too pleased as he made his way to the bench.
Hansi Flick's gesture with Lamine Yamal after his substitution during Barcelona vs Benfica.
Photo Courtesy: Mundo Deportivo
However, as Mundo Deportivo has noted, Flick once again showed his characteristic management style, as he approached the €180m-rated winger on the bench, shook his hand, and spoke a few words with him to explain why his substitution was the best alternative for his team.
Yamal seemed to have accepted the explanation offered by the Barcelona coach. Thus, Flick might have avoided one of his more important players getting disillusioned with his substitution, and his words will keep him motivated to help his team going forward.