Hansi Flick talks Lewandowski, Olmo, Yamal, Gavi, Pedri, Araujo, De Jong, Fati after 5-1 Barcelona win over Real Betis | OneFootball

FC Barcelona continued on their winning run after the Spanish Super Cup triumph as they got another victory over Real Betis last night. This was the Round of 16 tie in the Copa del Rey, and with this win, the Blaugranes have paved their way to the quarter-finals of the competition.

Hansi Flick undertook his customary press conference after the game, in which he touched upon various aspects of this match and highlighted the performances of several players.

As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the German coach mentioned one special aspect that made this victory all the more important for him:

“For us, it was very important, after the great victory in the Supercopa, to see how the team returned. We traveled, didn’t train on Monday, and after just one training session, it’s very good to see the performance from the start.”

One of the innovations that the German brought to his team last night was to play Dani Olmo in Robert Lewandowski’s position. Flick clarified in this presser that the Pole was rested for this game, and also showed his satisfaction with how Olmo performed in this role:

“He knows how to play perfectly as a ‘nine’; he’s done it with the national team. We discussed it. Lewandowski wasn’t an option, and we wanted to try it. The plan worked well, and you’ll have noticed the spacing between the players was perfect.”

About Yamal, the Barcelona coach was clear that: “He is the best in the world after Messi.”

Flick also showed his delight with Gavi’s performances:

“Gavi is very emotional… Yes, my answer is yes. In the big matches, you can see how great talents shine. We’ve seen it in many games, but we have to take care of him.”

“What I like about him is that he’s always present, always pressing, and winning important duels. And he also knows how to play with the ball. I’m very happy.”

Praising Pedri, the Blaugrana trainer was also highly elaborate:

“He’s everywhere. In the midfield, these kids from La Masia (mistakenly referring to Pedri as a product of the academy) are incredible to watch, the way they understand the game and combine with each other.”

“He’s one of those players who performs in every match. He covers a lot of ground and does so many things. It’s important for me that he stands out as a leader; we need someone to excel in the midfield battle. He’s really doing very well.”

Ronald Araujo started this game while remaining in the spotlight because of the constant speculation about his future. The Barcelona coach also expressed his delight with his return to fitness and his belief in his continuity:

“He has a year and a half left on his contract, and I’ve never doubted that he’ll be here. I’m very happy to have him, and you could see how the fans celebrated his return.”

Frenkie de Jong was another player who satisfied Flick on the night: “De Jong has taken a step in the right direction; I was very happy.”

However, he was clear that Ansu Fati needs to do more to get his desired playing time:

“We have fewer injured players, there are more players in form, and it’s not easy for him. He needs to train and show us that he’s improving.”