Hansi Flick expressed his satisfaction with the win, recognizing the team’s resilience and mentality during the intense match. He praised Barcelona’s goalkeeper Szczesny for his crucial saves, acknowledging his key role in securing the victory, and told him, “This win was thanks to your performance tonight. What a player you are.”
Flick was also impressed with Pedri’s outstanding performance, considering him the best player on the field after Szczesny. Pedri, who worked tirelessly to compensate for Barcelona’s early numerical disadvantage, received high praise from Flick, who remarked, “I’m lucky to have a player like you on my team.”
Despite his overall satisfaction, Flick expressed disappointment with the performance of left-back Alejandro Balde and warned him to improve quickly, or risk losing his starting spot to Gerard Martin.
In a surprise gesture, Barcelona president Joan Laporta congratulated the players and coach immediately after the match. Laporta particularly commended Szczesny, telling him, “Flick was right to trust you. You saved the team from defeat tonight.”
