Flick talks Yamal, Raphinha, Lewandowski, Ansu, UCL qualification after Barcelona 4-0 Borussia Dortmund | OneFootball

Barcelona delivered a dominant performance in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal, comfortably defeating Borussia Dortmund 4-0.

While most would assume that such a commanding result secures their place in the semifinals, manager Hansi Flick remains cautious.

Despite showing joy at the final whistle, the German coach stayed composed and refused to get carried away.

Flick made it clear that the job is not finished yet. While the scoreline heavily favours Barcelona, he reminded everyone that the return leg in Dortmund is still to come.

“Not yet. You never know what’s going to happen in football because it’s a crazy sport. We have to play like we did today. Do what we know how to do,” he began saying.

On Yamal, Lewandowski and Raphinha

Hansi Flick was more than satisfied with the performance. (Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images)

The Barcelona boss praised his players, highlighting the important contributions of Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, and Raphinha.

He also stressed the significance of the team’s defensive structure and how the substitutes impacted the game.

With many matches being played, having a strong bench that can step up when needed is vital, and Flick appears pleased with how his squad is handling that challenge.

“They’re very important, and also when you look at the defense, how much the substitutes influence it. This is important with so many games.”

Ansu Fati gets rewarded

Flick also addressed the decision to bring off Yamal and give minutes to Ansu Fati. He explained that Yamal had played many minutes recently, and this was a chance for Ansu to get some valuable time on the pitch.

Ansu Fati finally got some minutes against Borussia Dortmund. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

“I saw that he [Lamine] had played too many minutes, and for Ansu, it’s important to have minutes.”

The manager made it clear that minutes are never handed out as favours. “I don’t give away minutes. He deserved to play today based on the way he’s training.”

Flick has spoken with Ansu several times in recent weeks and outlined exactly what he expects from the young forward. According to the coach, Ansu has responded well, working hard and showing determination to improve.

“It was good that Ansu was able to play. He deserved to play. It’s important for him to get minutes. He’s training very well and deserved to play.

“I’ve spoken with him a lot and told him what I expect from him, and he’s conveyed that in recent weeks. I never promise anyone minutes; you have to keep in mind the game, which dictates the substitutions.

“He’s done really well,” he said.

Source: AS