Polish striker Robert Lewandowski led his team, Barcelona, to a big win over Deportivo Alaves on Sunday evening, away from home, in the ninth round of the Spanish League.
In light of the result, Barcelona raised its points to 24 at the top of the standings, 3 points ahead of its traditional rival, Real Madrid, the runner-up.
According to information from the Sport newspaper, the German coach expressed his happiness with the victory over Alaves, especially since this match was the last before the upcoming international break.
The newspaper added that despite Robert Lewandowski scoring a hat-trick in the match, Flick revealed that Brazilian star Rafinha is the best player for him in today’s match.
The German coach congratulated the Brazilian winger on his performance and showered him with praise, describing him as the main engine and driving force for Barcelona this season. Flick is one of the biggest fans of the Brazilian player, whom he sees as the best in the world in his position.
The newspaper also mentioned that Flick spoke with the talented star Lamine Yamal and expressed some sadness about the player’s level, as he did not perform well in this match.
Flick told Yamal that he needs to speak with the Spanish national team coach to rest him during the upcoming international break, as the player seems clearly exhausted, and Barcelona is facing crucial matches after the break, whether in the Champions League or in La Liga.
The newspaper indicated that despite the victory, Flick is very concerned about Barcelona’s defensive performance, as the German coach believes that this performance will expose Barcelona to many problems when facing the top teams in Europe.
The coach asked Pau Coparsi and Hector Faure to focus, as Alaves almost scored more than once, especially in the second half, due to the gaps that appeared in this duo’s defense.
The newspaper added that Barcelona president Joan Laporta came down immediately after the end of the match to congratulate the team, and he specifically praised Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado, who is having a historic season with the club.
Laporta told the player that, for him, he is the best midfielder in La Liga this season, outperforming all the midfield stars in Barcelona and Real Madrid.