Barça earned a big win over Espanyol at Spotify Camp Nou this Saturday, and those precious three points open up a nine-point lead over Real Madrid.

But Hansi Flick wasn’t getting carried away. “It was all about the three points" he said after the final whistle. "We controlled the first half, but lost a bit of control after the break. They scored and it became harder. The changes helped us to regain control.”

Despite the gap at the top, the message was clear: nothing’s done. “It’s a very good lead, nine points" said Flick. "But for me, it’s not finished. We have to do our job. Until it’s decided, we have to show our best.”

The mood in the camp is strong heading into a massive fixture on the European stage this coming Tuesday.

 

“The team is in a good place. Everyone is mentally ready" insisted the coach.“We’re confident. We’ll be ready. We want to go there and fight Atlético.”

“We don’t need a miracle. We need to play our best football. We controlled the first leg. Many things are possible. Atlético are a fantastic team. But so are we.”

And although the derby gave us a scare concerning a key member of the squad, Flick made a reassuring announcement. “Gerard Martín is fine" he said. "He’ll be available on Tuesday.”

Força Barça