Yamal missed Barcelona s 4 consecutive wins Flick: Good thing, it means we are very strong

Sports Weekly All Media Report

Barcelona reversed Oviedo 3-1, 2 points behind Real Madrid in a three-game winning streak. This weekend, you can watch the tiger fight. In this game, Flick ushered in his 50th victory in coaching Barcelona. The German coach reached the 50-win milestone in 67 games in just over a year, becoming the third fastest coach in the club's history to unlock this achievement. Only Luis Enrique (60 games) and Elegno Herrera (63 games) were faster than him. Coincidentally, the women's first-team coach Pere Romeu also reached 50 wins in coaching after winning in Sevilla last weekend. The two coaches who took office in the summer of 2024 have maintained synchronized in the number of wins.

Uruguayan central defender Araujo started as the captain in this game, and the end of the game helped the team to lock in the victory. Flick praised his performance, "This is not an easy game, because Oviedo did a good job in the conversion attack, but our defense is also good. I am also very happy that Araujo can score because I think it is a boost to his confidence and make him believe in himself more. Araujo performed better than last season, which is normal. Inigo and Kubarsi played many games together last season and are very familiar with each other. Now we are trying different central defenders combinations, and it is a good thing to have a choice."

Dutch midfielder Frenki De Jong came on as a substitute in the second half. This is his 264th appearance for Barcelona, ​​tying Ronald Koeman, and becoming the second-most Dutch player in Barcelona. Currently, there is only one compatriot in front of De Jong - Koku in 292 games. De Jong only needs to play 28 more games to tie Koku. At this pace, it is possible to surpass this season.

Flick said: "He (De Jong) is very important, just like Pedri. In the second half, we had better control and rhythm of the game, which made Oviedo more difficult." Lewandow replaced Rafinia with a slightly injured attack and received an assist from De Jong to score a goal from Barcelona to overtake the score. Flick praised De Jong and Lewandowski for changing the game, "That's their value. We played well in the first half. Although the opponent scored, we had many opportunities. In the second half, I told the players to continue to persist, control the ball calmly, believe in ourselves, and we did a good job. Of course, we made substitutions at the right time. With De Jong and Lewandowski, we finally scored 3 points."

Barcelona has been doing a steady job since joining the new goalkeeper Joan Garcia signed by Espanyol this summer, but his pass error after a strike in the 33rd minute of the game was scored by his opponent. However, Flick refused to accuse the goalkeeper and praised his good mentality. "That was a mistake, the opponent seized the opportunity, but football is like this. What matters is that we won the game. This is the result of our way of playing, and the style we hope he plays. The mistakes may happen, which is what I want to say. He is a very outstanding goalkeeper, and he adjusted himself well for the rest of the game."

Speaking of Rafinia's injury, Flick revealed that there was no big problem. "Rafinia felt a little discomfort in her legs, and we had to replace him. I don't think he had a big problem. We need to wait until tomorrow to confirm, but I think he is fine." Barcelona has won four games in a row with Yamal absent, what does this mean? "It's a good thing for the team. We made the right decision (let Yamal quit) and the team improved. But I think it also means we have a great team."