Flick suggested that despite picking up a “red card” during the encounter, his team still performed well.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has attributed his team’s 2-0 loss to fellow La Liga outfit Atletico Madrid, in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarter-final, to the visitors’ numerical advantage and a streak of bad luck.”
The German tactician shared his thoughts on Wednesday night during his post-match interview following the encounter at the Camp Nou.
Two goals, courtesy of Julián Álvarez and Alexander Sørloth, handed Diego Simeone’s side a significant first-leg advantage against the Blaugrana.
Barcelona were the better side for much of the opening period, but a foul on Giuliano Simeone by Pau Cubarsí just before half-time proved pivotal.
The defender was initially shown a yellow card by referee István Kovács after sending Simeone flying during a one-on-one break.
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However, the decision was upgraded to a red card after Kovács was advised by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Speaking after the match, Flick suggested that despite the dismissal, his team maintained a high level of play.
He assured Barcelona fans that, despite the setback, his players would do whatever it takes to reach the semi-final stage of the competition.
“For the first goal, we needed to defend much better, and the red card led to a goal from a free-kick. We could have done better,” Flick said.
He added: “We played well in both the first and second halves, even with a player less. We gave everything, but today luck was not on our side. It is not over yet. We will try; we will fight. The semi-final might seem far away now, but we will do our best to be there.”
