Mission accomplished in the Champions League. After putting recent defeats behind them and returning to winning ways in La Liga last weekend, Barça did the same in Europe's premier club competition, comfortably defeating Aston Villa 3-0 at Spotify Camp Nou on Matchday four of the league phase. 

Delighted with the defence

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Hansi Flick praised his team's defensive performance. "It was important to defend together and stay compact. The defence put in a great performance, and so did Joan Garcia. When you see such young players (Fariñas, Cubarsí, Gerard Martín) performing at this level in the Champions League, I’m very happy about that."

A tribute to Jesús de Miguel

Asked about individual players, Flick addressed Raphinha and his substitution. "Everything that happened in Tenerife has affected him deeply. We would like to express our condolences to the family of Jesús de Miguel, to CD Tenerife, and to everyone close to him. We are human beings, and it has affected us as well," explained the coach, referring not only to the Brazilian winger but to the team as a whole.

Regarding Rodrigo, who was substituted at half-time, Flick explained: "He felt some discomfort, and we will have to wait until tomorrow to assess it." He was replaced by Bernal, who, according to Flick,"always plays fantastically well whenever he is on the pitch." More generally, the German coach was very pleased with the team's response following the two recent defeats.

Responding to setbacks

"In life and in football, it’s not about whether you make mistakes or lose, it’s about how you react. We always look forward, and I’m happy with that. It’s important that we stay calm and focused on the plan." And that plan, on Sunday, is to win away against Atlético Madrid. For now, Barça have collected nine points from a possible twelve in the Champions League.

 

Força Barça