Hansi Flick mentioned Barcelona want a break after Atlético Madrid inflicted a 3rd straight residence league defeat on them to switch them on the prime of LaLiga on Saturday.
Alexander Sørloth scored a 96th-minute winner on the Olympic Stadium after Rodrigo De Paul had cancelled out Pedri’s opener as Atlético got here from behind to make it 12 consecutive wins in all competitions.
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Atlético’s kind couldn’t distinction extra with Barça’s, who’ve now gained simply one in every of their final seven league video games heading into the winter break in Spain.
“Now it is a break and I feel everybody wants this break,” Flick mentioned within the post-game information convention. “After the break we’ll practice and we’ll present how sturdy we’re.
“For us now, we’re all dissatisfied about this defeat as a result of we performed incredible. Now we’ll have a good time Christmas, begin coaching on Dec. 29 and concentrate on what we are able to do within the subsequent half of the season.”
Barça had been 10 factors away from Atlético at first of November, however Saturday’s defeat noticed them fall three factors behind Diego Simeone’s facet, who even have a recreation in hand.
Nonetheless, Flick felt his crew’s efficiency was a lot improved from how they’ve performed in current weeks, after they have dropped factors in opposition to Actual Sociedad, Celta Vigo, Actual Betis, Las Palmas and Leganés.
Pedri gave them a deserved lead in opposition to Atlético and solely a mix of missed probabilities and sensible goalkeeping from Jan Oblak prevented them from including to their benefit.
“It was actually unbelievable how we play,” Flick added. “That is how I wish to see my crew. I’m proud. It reveals additionally that Atlético is an skilled crew and so they simply ready for this and for them it is sufficient.
“I feel our type, how we wish to play, it was actually nice, incredible. It is actually disappointing that we’ve got nothing in our palms [from the game], that is the massive disappointment.
“I mentioned to the crew I actually respect how we play. Perhaps we’ve got to play extra clever. We had been punished for possibly two errors, we’ve got to study this stuff, however this, for me, is the way in which.
“The standard we performed, how we performed … I feel everybody right here within the room can see this. That is additionally the type how Barça wish to play, how they wish to dominate, however on the finish it is soccer and the crew who scores extra aim wins.”
Flick additionally downplayed ceding prime spot to in-form Atlético, whereas Actual Madrid can even transfer forward of Barça in the event that they beat Sevilla on Sunday.
“I do know that we performed incredible within the first three months of the season, however on the finish we misplaced a number of factors and now we aren’t chief of the desk,” he mentioned.
“However, on the finish, it is also nonetheless a very good place, to let you realize the place you wish to go. I am not nervous about that. The crew’s doing actually good. At present they confirmed everybody how good they’ll play. From now, this must be our commonplace.”
The German coach additionally reserved particular reward for Pedri, who other than his aim delivered a superb efficiency in opposition to Atlético, creating 4 huge probabilities that weren’t taken by his teammates.
“It is actually good to see that he is now on this degree,” Flick mentioned. “How he performed was incredible, the aim was unbelievably good. Once you see him now on the pitch, he is additionally teaching the opposite gamers round him. That is good. It is the following step for him. He is 22-years-old and he is on the appropriate method.”
