Barcelona returned with a big win from Serbia, defeating Red Star Belgrade 5-2 on Wednesday evening in a match in the fourth round of the Champions League group stage.
Barcelona increased its points tally to 9, securing sixth place, while Red Star remained pointless, bringing Barcelona a step closer to advancing directly to the Round of 16.
According to information from the Spanish newspaper “El Nacional”, Hansi Flick is very pleased with the team’s performance in this dominant victory over the Serbian side.
The newspaper added that Flick showered praise on Barcelona’s star French defender, Jules Koundé, for his exceptional performance. Koundé managed to contribute both defensively and offensively, even creating 3 goals in a brilliant fashion.
Additionally, Flick congratulated Barcelona’s defensive star, Íñigo Martínez, for continuing to exceed expectations. Flick was transparent with the player, telling him that his decision to block Martínez’s departure last summer was the best decision he made since taking charge of Barcelona.
In an unexpected development, Flick told one of his assistants that Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong has not yet earned his trust. Flick believes starting Spanish player Dani Olmo in the starting lineup would be more beneficial for the team than the Dutch player.
The newspaper concluded by mentioning that, despite the great victory, Flick remains concerned about Robert Lewandowski missing several easy opportunities. He warned the Polish striker, despite scoring two goals, that such misses could have serious consequences in the decisive matches during the second half of the season.