Flick asks Yamal to forget Cucurella and focus on Barça

Flick urges Lamine Yamal to focus on upcoming matches after Barcelona’s defeat

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has urged Lamine Yamal to put his duel with Marc Cucurella in Tuesday’s defeat to Chelsea behind him and focus on the upcoming home matches against Alavés and Atlético de Madrid. Yamal, 18 years old, couldn’t stand out during Barça’s 3-0 defeat in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge, which led Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez to declare that Cucurella had “nullified” his national team teammate. Flick finally substituted Yamal in the 80th minute, and the youngster seemed annoyed at being replaced, but the Barça coach downplayed his reaction and urged him to respond in the coming weeks. “Lamine’s mood is good,” Flick said at a press conference before Saturday’s LaLiga match at Spotify Camp Nou against Alavés. “Many players, when we change them, are not happy. I was also a player and maybe sometimes I didn’t show the correct reaction, but that’s how it is. It’s emotion. For me, Cucurella is one of the best left-backs in the world. It’s not easy to play against him, he’s very intelligent, very intelligent in defense. The next step for Lamine is to prove again that it’s not about this match, forget about it. Alavés is now what matters and he has to show his best performance, his best level.”

Yamal, who has six goals and seven assists in 13 games this season, was not the only Barça player who struggled against Chelsea midweek. The way it defended itself in the defeat, which left Barça in 18th place in the Champions League standings, was also criticized, as Chelsea scored three goals and had another three disallowed. Flick acknowledged that the result was difficult to accept for him and his players, but remains positive about the future and told the “experts” who continue to question his team’s tactics that “they have no idea.” “Of course, we are all in a bad mood after the defeat against Chelsea,” added the Barça coach. “We were very disappointed about that because we thought we could win there, but it’s done.”

When we lose and when we concede three goals, it’s very easy to say that it wasn’t a good match. But, for me, also to make it clear to all the experts outside, they have no idea how we want to play and what is necessary to play, I won’t say with the high line, but how we want to press.

It’s not just about the four defenders. It’s about the midfielders, the forwards, who initiate the press. This is what I need from every player on the field, to press. It always falls on the defenders and it’s not fair. “I said I think positively. We did many positive things, but we have to do better when we start the dynamic, when we start the pressure.” Flick is confident of seeing a different Barça in the future. Pedri will return from his injury against Alavés and Raphinha is in line to start for the first time since September after coming off the bench in the last two games. Fermín López has been ruled out for two weeks due to a calf injury, while Ronald Araújo will also miss the match against Alavés due to a stomach problem. “I appreciate the things I see in training, we are focused, we have a lot of quality and players who are returning now,” Flick said. “Pedri is back, so it’s another situation, it increases the quality, Rapha, Marcus [Rashford] after having the flu… I’ve really missed Rapha.

I see him as one of the most important players on the team, with the philosophy we have and how we want to play. He is very positive in our game when we defend, when we start the pressure, but also in transition he is incredibly good. It’s no wonder he scored so many goals last season. He’s hungry to prove how good he is again this season after a fantastic year last season.” Barça can, at least temporarily, go top of LaLiga with a win against Alavés before current leaders Real Madrid travel to Girona on Sunday. Flick’s team will then focus its attention on Tuesday’s huge league match at home against Atlético de Madrid, who have won six games in a row in all competitions after beating Inter Milan 2-1 in the middle of the week in Europe.