Flick Pleased with Barcelona’s Mindset Following Dominant Victory over Real Sociedad in La Liga

Barcelona’s manager, Hansi Flick, expressed his immense satisfaction with the drive and mindset exhibited by his squad as they convincingly defeated 10-man Real Sociedad 4-0 on Sunday, reclaiming the top position in the LaLiga table.

Strikes from Gerard Martin, Marc Casado, Ronald Araujo, and Robert Lewandowski characterised a dominant performance that propelled them to first place, amassing 57 points from 26 fixtures, one point clear of Atletico Madrid and three ahead of local rivals Real Madrid.

“This is the style we aspire to embrace. Our primary focus is always on attacking. We aim to keep the ball moving, and everyone is eager to find the back of the net,” Flick conveyed to the media.

“It’s encouraging to see this level of commitment. Today, we occupied the right spaces, which greatly benefitted us by creating numerous opportunities to penetrate their final line. While we’re pleased with the outcome, we’re more thrilled about securing the three points than just scoring goals.”

Flick also addressed any concerns regarding Gavi’s fitness after the midfielder was omitted from the starting lineup, stating: “We were considering starting Gavi today, but he experienced some illness yesterday.”

“He informed us he had a fever, so we took precautions. It wasn’t necessary to risk him, which is why we chose to go with another player.”

Midway through the second half, just moments after Araujo netted to extend Barcelona’s lead to 3-0, Flick opted for a triple substitution to conserve his players ahead of their upcoming Champions League last-16 first-leg match against Benfica on Wednesday.

The German coach indicated that these substitutions were advantageous in light of their impending fixture against the Portuguese club, who last competed on February 26.

“Numerous factors contributed to our success today. The red card was certainly one of them, but equally, our performance was pivotal. We showcased significant dominance following the dismissal, which aligns with our desired style of play,” Flick noted.

“Naturally, the substitutions were crucial as they allow our players to recuperate a bit more. This greatly benefits us, yet ultimately, we will have to wait and see.

“Benfica had a full week to prepare for our encounter, so we need to remain vigilant.”