BARCELONA — Despite his team’s impressive 4-1 victory over Espanyol on Saturday, Hansi Flick emphasized that the LaLiga title is far from secure. The win allowed Barcelona to surge nine points ahead of Real Madrid, with only seven matches remaining in the season.
Ferran Torres netted two goals, while Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford also contributed to the scoreline at Spotify Camp Nou, extending Barça’s winning streak in the league to eight.
This latest triumph came on the heels of another disappointing result for Madrid, who drew with Girona after their prior loss to Mallorca.
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In the post-match press conference, Flick stated, “It’s not done yet. Nine points is a good lead and it feels great, but we must stay focused.” He stressed, “We cannot adopt an attitude that suggests it’s over. That would be the wrong approach, and I won’t accept it. Until it’s sealed, we must give our all.”
Torres’ two first-half goals helped secure a 2-0 advantage at halftime during the Catalan derby. This marked his first goals since January 31, breaking a 13-match streak without scoring, and he celebrated by cupping his ears to silence critics.
“As a forward, it’s natural to be judged on goals,” Torres remarked to reporters. “Though it had been a while since I netted, I always had faith in my abilities and knew the results would come eventually. There’s often more negativity than positivity surrounding me, but I remain focused on my work.”
Pol Lozano brought Espanyol back into contention with a goal in the 56th minute, but Yamal’s 15th LaLiga goal of the season and a late strike from Rashford sealed the victory for Barça.
Following the match, fans chanted “Yes we can” inside the stadium as they shifted their focus to Tuesday’s Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Atlético Madrid. Despite losing the first leg 2-0 at Camp Nou last Wednesday, Flick and his squad are optimistic about turning things around.
“The team is in good spirits, which is evident,” Flick noted. “The atmosphere is positive, and the players are in good form. We need to deliver the perfect performance, and I believe we can do that. Atlético is a formidable team, but we too have a great squad.”
“Everyone is eager to demonstrate our capabilities. We’re ready to fight fiercely and hope we can harness the momentum to our advantage on Tuesday.”