Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has downplayed concerns about his team’s recent form but acknowledged the need to cut out mistakes as they aim to return to winning ways.
This comes after surrendering a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw against Celta Vigo over the weekend.
Celta managed to score twice in the final 10 minutes after Marc Casadó’s red card at Balaídos, extending Barcelona’s winless streak in LaLiga to two games.
Barça, who had dominated early in the season, are now feeling the pressure as their lead over rivals Real Madrid has shrunk to four points, with Madrid having a game in hand.
Speaking ahead of their Champions League clash with unbeaten Brest at the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday, Flick emphasized improvement.
“It’s about eliminating mistakes, which is very important,” he said in a press conference.
“We have areas to improve, especially with the ball, and this is what we’re focusing on. It’s part of the process with a young team. Growth isn’t always a straight path.”
Barcelona’s campaign began strongly with 11 wins in their first 12 league matches. However, back-to-back setbacks, including a loss to Real Sociedad, have revealed vulnerabilities in Flick’s youthful squad, currently the youngest in LaLiga.
“We’re learning to manage situations within 90 minutes better.”
“These moments are part of the journey.”
Barça will also have to navigate injuries.
Rising star Lamine Yamal, who has been pivotal with six goals and eight assists this season, remains sidelined with an ankle issue.
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Flick is hopeful the 17-year-old will return for Saturday’s LaLiga match against Las Palmas.
“He’s progressing well,” Flick shared. “Hopefully, he’ll be an option off the bench this weekend.”
Left-back Alejandro Balde joins Yamal on the injury list alongside Marc-André ter Stegen, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araújo, Marc Bernal, and Ansu Fati.
However, there is positive news as Eric García and Ferran Torres have returned to full training and may feature against Brest.
Despite recent struggles in LaLiga, Barcelona has been more consistent in Europe, winning their last three Champions League matches after an opening defeat to Monaco.
However, Flick is wary of Brest’s quality.
The French side remains unbeaten in the competition, amassing 10 points from four games.
“They are strong on set pieces and transitions,” Flick noted. “They’ve shown great form in Europe, even if they’ve had league challenges.”
Flick remains optimistic about turning things around.
“This is a young team, and challenges like these are part of football. We need to demonstrate our quality on the pitch, and I believe we’ll do so starting with Brest.”
