Hansi Flick expressed his determination to tune out criticism from pundits and former players after a stellar hat trick from Robert Lewandowski propelled Barcelona to a 4-2 victory over Celta Vigo, narrowing the gap to three points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid.
Prior to Sunday’s match at Balaídos, Barça had secured only three wins in their last seven outings, with a midweek 3-3 draw against Club Brugge adding fuel to the criticism surrounding Flick’s high defensive line strategy.
Though Barça’s defensive line was breached twice in a thrilling first half, they managed to exhibit control in the second half, securing a crucial win just before the international break.
When asked if the second half showcased effective execution of his tactics, Flick replied with a smile in the post-match press conference, “I always think about responding to experts, former players, and coaches, but no, I won’t get into that. It creates too much noise!”
“We will analyze this match as we do with all our games and strive to improve. This is our responsibility. While not everything was perfect, we will discuss it. What matters most is that the players have confidence and belief in our approach, and the second half exemplified that.”
The first half was full of excitement, similar to Barça’s midweek draw in Belgium. Celta tied the game twice after goals from Lewandowski – first from a penalty, followed by a close-range finish from a Marcus Rashford assist – through Sergio Carreira and Borja Iglesias.
Lamine Yamal restored Barça’s lead just before halftime, and Lewandowski, making his first start in over a month, completed his hat trick with a header from another Rashford cross in the second half to secure the win.
“Yes [I am satisfied],” Flick added. “I appreciated what I saw today. In the first half, we made several mistakes, more than in the second half, which Celta capitalized on. Two of their goals came from our errors.”
“However, I observed that we were controlling the game quite well, particularly in the second half where we defended much better. The second half builds our confidence for upcoming matches. When we can apply pressure, it’s a solid strategy, which we executed well. I was pleased with our performance, especially in the latter part of the game.”
Barcelona’s win brought them within three points of Madrid, who were held to a scoreless draw by Rayo Vallecano earlier in the day, serving as additional motivation for the Blaugrana players.
“It was one of the wildest matches of the season, particularly in the first half,” Lewandowski commented to reporters. “We scored three and conceded two, but I’m thrilled with the victory in this challenging game.”
“Winning today allowed us to reduce the gap to Real Madrid to three points. But more than that, we always strive to be ready. We recognize that there are areas for improvement, but it’s crucial this season to identify what we can better.”
Despite a prolonged injury absence, Lewandowski has now netted seven goals in just 449 minutes of La Liga play. “I am delighted, not just with my goals, but with our overall performance,” he added. “We played as a cohesive unit today.”
“After our experience against Rayo, we emphasized the importance of returning to the [title] race. This win significantly aids us and enhances our momentum for upcoming matches.”
However, the victory was slightly overshadowed by a late red card for Frenkie de Jong, who received a second booking and will miss the next match against Athletic Club after the international break, leaving Flick short in midfield. Pedri is also a doubt for that fixture due to injury, and Marc Casadó was pulled from the starting lineup in Vigo moments before kickoff after picking up a knock during warm-ups. He will undergo tests on Monday.