Ronald Araujo donned the hero’s cape to secure three points in a high-intensity derby victory over Girona on Saturday. Hansi Flick, who was sent off after receiving two consecutive yellow cards in the closing moments for protesting to referee Jesús Gil Manzano, nevertheless expressed satisfaction with his team’s reaction.

“We fought to win" he said. "And I hope this victory gives us confidence for the coming games.”

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Hansi Flick: 'We believed right until the end'

Good situation

Emotions ran high after the dramatic late goal from an improvised centre-forward Araujo. “Everyone celebrated the goal in their own way,” said Flick. “Araujo told me he was ready to play in that position, and I’m happy for him. He always plays with his whole heart for this team.”

“This goal should give us wings, because we’re not playing as well as last season. We’re top, and that’s a good situation."

Flick was pleased but frustrated because he wasn’t able to speak to the referee at the end of the match. “I didn’t say anything against him" insisted the German. "I was just trying to motivate my team.”

Beyond the last-gasp goal and his own sending-off, Flick also addressed the performances of players such as Lamine Yamal and Pedri in his post-match press conference.

“We had no other options — we had to take off Lamine Yamal and Pedri. Pedri has played a lot of minutes, and we have to look after the players. We made that decision, and it worked. Toni Fernández played the first 45 minutes, which is good for us, and we also had Fermín available. I think it was the right strategy for this game.”

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