Hansi Flick says Barcelona must accept Real Madrid defeat after ‘difficult’ week

Hansi Flick says Barcelona must accept their 2-1 defeat by Real Madrid, but admitted he was unhappy with his side’s performance and believed they lacked physical freshness after a demanding week.

Real Madrid secured victory in the 10th round of the Spanish league at Camp Nou, ending Barcelona’s run of nine successive league wins.

Barcelona had lost 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday before being beaten by Real Madrid. The back-to-back defeats are their second and third losses of the season respectively, and their first in the Spanish league after 10 matches.

“I am not satisfied with the performance,” Flick told DAZN. “It was clear today that we were not fully ready physically. Usually, we are fresher.”

The Barcelona manager felt his team improved after half-time and had controlled much of the second period after drawing level at 1-1.

“We played a good second half and Real Madrid only had two chances to score their second goal,” he added. “We controlled the match and scored the equaliser, but we continued to push at the end and they took advantage of a counter-attack to score.

“That is not good for us, but we have to accept it. Losing is part of football.”

Flick said Barcelona were not performing at their best because of the physical demands placed on the squad, but pointed to the week available before their next fixture as an opportunity to recover.

“This is our first league defeat after 10 matches,” he said. “We are not playing at our highest level, and that is connected to our physical readiness. We have a week to prepare for the next match and we need to restore the team’s energy.”

He also stressed that his players needed time away from football after the congested schedule.

“The players need to get away from the football environment for a little while,” said Flick.

Speaking to Barcelona’s club media, the German reiterated that his side had not been physically prepared for a match against a Real Madrid team known for its strength.

“I am disappointed,” he said. “After the 1-1 equaliser, we controlled the match and had chances to score a second goal, but we lacked a little luck.

“We have to accept the result. We made mistakes and they scored goals, so we must think about what we can improve.”

Flick said the previous week had been far from ideal after the defeat in Paris and Barcelona’s first league loss, although his side remain top of the table.

“We need to recover our energy because we were not fully ready in the first half,” he said.

Barcelona have a full week to prepare for their next match against Alaves at Spotify Camp Nou as they look to recover from consecutive defeats.

Real Madrid’s win moved them to 24 points in third place, one point behind second-placed Atletico Madrid. Barcelona remain top on 27 points.

It was Real Madrid’s first victory at Camp Nou since the 2023/2024 season, specifically October 2023, when they also won 2-1.