Barcelona manager Hansi Flick praised
Marcus Rashford for his “crucial” goal that led to the
England forward helping Barcelona defeat
Getafe on Saturday, bringing the Catalan team closer to another LaLiga title.
Rashford’s goal came shortly after
Fermín López opened the scoring, leading Barça to a 2-0 victory at the Coliseum, extending their lead over
Real Madrid by 11 points with only five matches remaining.
Despite not starting any of Barcelona’s last four matches, the on-loan
Manchester United player came off the bench in the second half, raising his total goals for the club to 13 across all competitions.
Filling in on the right wing due to the absence of the injured
Lamine Yamal, Rashford capitalized on a pass from
Robert Lewandowski to find space in the center and finish past
David Soria.
“Marcus came on in the second half and effectively used the space provided to us,” Flick stated during the post-match press conference.
“We discussed this at halftime. I’m pleased for the team, for us, and for him that he scored, as it was extremely important for both him and us.”
Rashford’s contribution not only secured the win but also positioned Barça on the verge of back-to-back LaLiga titles under Flick’s guidance.
The match against Getafe was anticipated to be a challenging encounter, given Barcelona’s previous struggles at the Coliseum in their last five visits. However, the team delivered a solid performance, securing all three points.
Nonetheless, Flick stressed that celebrations should be postponed, despite Barcelona’s commanding lead in the league.
“We’re focused on celebrating only the victory,” he emphasized. “It’s a different situation. I told the team before the match that we need to concentrate on our day-to-day tasks and what we must accomplish.”
“When we play like this, I’m genuinely satisfied. I greatly appreciate how we manage the ball and our defensive work. It’s not easy here, but our performance today was nearly flawless.”
“The title is not secured yet. We have five matches to go and are concentrating solely on the next game. We will celebrate at the appropriate time, not now.”
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Marcus Rashford scores as Barcelona triumphs over Getafe, edging closer to LaLiga title
Barcelona could potentially be crowned champions next weekend if they secure victory against
Osasuna on Saturday and Real Madrid falters against
Espanyol the next day.
In the event that doesn’t happen, they may have a chance to clinch the title when they face Madrid in the Clásico on May 10 at Spotify Camp Nou.
However, Flick refused to comment on whether he would prefer to secure the title before facing Madrid or during that match. “We need to concentrate on the task at hand and not dwell on the future,” he stated. “We have to prepare thoroughly for the upcoming game, which will also be a tough challenge.”