Barcelona Worries about Flick's Team Sliding from More to Less in Control, According to SPORT's Report
Barcelona Worries about Flick's Team Sliding from More to Less in Control, According to SPORT's Report
Barcelona's top brass is troubled by Hansi Flick's first team appearing to lose grip, transitioning "more to less" as per SPORT's unnamed sources.
Once again, Barca failed to secure a win on Saturday, ending up in a 2-2 draw with Real Betis in Sevilla.
Betis managed to score an equalizer in the 94th minute, meaning Barca missed out on the victory in the game's final moments.
Following Real Madrid's 3-0 victory at Girona the following day, the gap between the two La Liga table leaders is now only two points.
If Real Madrid succeed in winning their game against Valencia, originally postponed due to flooding in their region, they can take the lead at the summit by a single point.
This would be a remarkable feat for Carlo Ancelotti and his team, and a setback for Barcelona, who had a six-point advantage following their 4-0 victory over Real Madrid in El Clasico at the end of October.
After the draw at the Estadio Benito Villamarin, Flick underlined that his team is still young and needs to improve, particularly when playing away.
"We have the required quality, so it's our problem," he stated.
According to SPORT, while the faith in Flick and his work is "unquestionably high," Barcelona's chiefs have expressed concern about the team's evident decline, both in terms of performance and results.
Though overall, Barca's position in the Champions League is positive, with qualification for the knockout stage almost assured after their victory over Borussia Dortmund, there are worries about the team's mental state potentially impacting their performance.
There's a worry about Barca's "inability to maintain composure during critical game moments," and a sense that, while this may not be intentional, the team has perhaps grown complacent after their victories over Bayern Munich and Madrid.
Competing teams are now more adept at exploiting Barca's offside trap, which in turn affects their control in games.
Reflecting on Barcelona's "shitty November" punctuated by losses to Real Sociedad and Las Palmas, Flick warned that a similarly disappointing December could ensue if solutions aren't found to the team's current slump.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid, one of Spain's hot teams, is looming on the horizon with a scheduled visit to Montjuic on December 21.
Hansi Flick mentioned that his young Real Betis counterparts require improvement, especially when playing away. Despite having the required quality, they struggled in the away game against Betis.
Barcelona's worry about El Clasico victory's impact on their performance is evident, as competing teams are now more adept at exploiting their offside trap. This has resulted in a decline in their control over games.
Flick also expressed concern about Barca's "inability to maintain composure during critical game moments," which could potentially impact their performance in upcoming matches, such as the one against Atletico Madrid.
Real Madrid's potential win against Valencia could see them overtake Barcelona by a single point in La Liga, just two points away from the January Champions League kickoff. This would be a significant achievement for Carlo Ancelotti and his team.