Barcelona 6-1 Alaves: Hansi Flick praises team response after reaching 100 wins

Hansi Flick celebrated his 100th victory as Barcelona manager after his side defeated Deportivo Alaves 6-1 in La Liga, while praising the performances of Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha, Frenkie de Jong and Bryan Farinas.

Barcelona controlled the match in the first half and repeatedly found space behind an Alaves defence that deployed several players deep.

“I am extremely satisfied,” Flick said at his news conference. “We imposed our control during the first half and created chances by exploiting the spaces. I really liked what I saw. We played well.”

He added: “Alaves defended very well and had many players behind the ball. We knew they would be effective with quick attacking transitions, but we controlled the game and managed to use the small spaces they left us.”

De Jong made his first appearance at centre-back, while Farinas made his senior debut. Flick said defensive absences had influenced the decision to use the midfielder in an unfamiliar position.

“We have many absentees in defence and we do not know when the players will return,” he said.

On Farinas, Flick added: “I asked Frenkie and Bryan whether they could play in that position, and I thank them for the work they did. Bryan deserved to play because of his professionalism in training. He performed well and developed a good understanding and connection with Lamine.”

Yamal scored twice and received further praise from his manager, who spoke to him at half-time about regaining confidence in one-on-one situations against defenders.

“It was important for Yamal to get some rest, and he produced a wonderful performance,” said Flick. “That is what I wanted to see, and the same applies to Fermin and Raphinha after the two defeats.”

Flick did not dwell on his personal milestone, although he was unable to hide his smile when asked about reaching 100 Barcelona wins.

“I do not usually look at the past, but I am extremely happy,” he said. “Was it the best match? Winning the first clasico in Madrid was wonderful. I remember it with positive feelings, and this will be good for the coming weeks.”

Pedri was substituted at half-time because he had already been booked.

“I replaced him because he had a yellow card and there was no need to take a risk,” Flick explained.

Rodri played the full 90 minutes, while Gavi was not introduced. Flick said the coaching staff had initially considered changes involving Rodri, De Jong and Fermin before choosing a different approach.

Barcelona now face Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid next week. Flick said his immediate priority was the Champions League meeting with Aston Villa at home.

“First, we have to face Aston Villa,” he said. “We will play at home, and the Champions League is always a special competition with a unique character. We only have two days to recover after today’s match, so our entire focus is on restoring the players’ fitness. After that, we will begin preparing for Aston Villa.”

Flick remains uncertain whether Jules Kounde, Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen will recover in time.

“We do not know anything yet,” he said. “Their recovery is going well, but our situation is not ideal. We have to get through these two matches. I hope I can recover one or two of them.”

Christensen is close to returning to group training, but Flick said Barcelona would not rush him before the international break because they needed him for the rest of the season.