‘I am a Madridista, but’… Nuri Şahin waxes lyrical about Hansi Flick’s Barcelona | OneFootball

FC Barcelona took a trip to Signal Iduna Park to face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League in the League Phase and Hansi Flick’s men managed to come out of the game with an impressive 3-2 win despite some scares.

A goal from captain Raphinha and a brace from Ferran Torres helped the Catalan club get past their German opponents but it has to be mentioned that Nuri Şahin’s team came back from behind twice in the game to pull it level.

If not for Lamine Yamal’s magic and Ferran Torres’ composure in the dying minutes of normal time, the game would have petered out to a stalemate. In terms of control, Hansi Flick’s men dominated most of the game but chances were rather even for both teams.

Speaking after the game as quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Nuri Şahin had huge words of praise for Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, admitting that he backs them to go a long way despite being a Madrid fan himself. The coach said:

“It’s a team, as I mentioned before, with a lot of quality. Their players are young, but with a lot of experience, and I believe they will be among the greats of the competition.”

“Lamine Yamal or Pedri, who are young but have already won big things and have been in European Championships and World Cups. With Hansi, Barça is a great team. I am a Madridista, but I can say they will go far.”

It was a classy gesture from the Dortmund manager to praise his opponents despite having just lost a game to them. Both players he mentioned – Lamine and Pedri had excellent games on the night to help Barcelona.

It was a testament to Dortmund’s attacking quality on the night that Hansi Flick actually brought on extra defensive legs late in the game to close it out, something the German manager has not been seen doing much during his time here.

It was an incredible game from both teams, and for neutrals, it was an absolute spectacle. Hansi Flick will surely be pleased but will want to maintain this form when they face Leganes this weekend. Let’s wait and see how it unfolds.