Manolo Lama explains Flick’s concern despite Barcelona’s win over Aston Villa
Spanish journalist Manolo Lama said Barcelona coach Hansi Flick’s focus on keeping a clean sheet after the 3-0 win over Aston Villa reflected concern about the team’s defensive problems, rather than simply celebrating the victory.
Spanish journalist Manolo Lama said Barcelona coach Hansi Flick’s focus on keeping a clean sheet after the 3-0 win over Aston Villa reflected concern about the team’s defensive problems, rather than simply celebrating the victory.
The win came in the fourth round of the league phase of the Champions League and ended Barcelona’s negative run in the competition: 18 consecutive matches in which they had conceded, the longest such run in the club’s history in the tournament. The source quoted Lama as saying that Flick’s focus on not conceding, even after a three-goal win, showed that he was concerned.
The source said that, according to this interpretation, the defensive challenge relates to the difficulty of balancing attacking pressure with defensive cover when the team’s lines push forward, which can leave space for opponents. Lamine Yamal scored the opening goal in the first half, then Raphinha added two goals in the second half.