Hansi Flick unhappy with players after Barcelona beat Real Madrid

Author Photo
Carlo Ancelotti Hansi Flick
(Getty Images)

The pre-season encounter between Barcelona and Real Madrid has become a tradition in recent years.

Last night, the two rivals faced off at MetLife Stadium in New York, and it was Barcelona who walked away with the bragging rights as Pau Victor continued to shine with a fine brace.

Victor found the back of the net either side of half-time with two well-taken finishes from inside the area, while Nico Paz scored late for Madrid, setting up a tense final 10 minutes. 

But the Blaugrana, who defeated reigning Premier League champions Manchester City on spot kicks earlier this week, managed to hold on in front of a packed crowd to secure a 2-1 win in New York. 

MORE: All the latest EPL club news | Team-by-team Premier League schedule for 2024/25 | Latest Premier League top scorer rankings

This win marked their second straight victory in pre-season matches. Young talents from La Masia academy, including Marc Bernal, Marc Casado, and Alex Valle, also showed what they can offer during the match.

After the game, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick addressed the media, stating that while he was pleased with the win, he felt there were areas for improvement in the team's performance.

"The win against Real Madrid? Well, we didn’t press for the whole 90 minutes. This is a problem," Flick said.

MORE: Carlo Ancelotti highlights ‘rare’ talent Endrick as he continues to impress on Real Madrid’s preseason tour

"We knew it was a Clasico match even though it was pre-season. I told my players that we want to see an improvement on the pitch compared to what was showed against Man City.

"I believe that is what happened. We did a good job. In some situations, we collapse too much during the match, and do not put pressure on the rival player who has the ball.

"This can’t happen. This is a problem. We have to focus on this and press during the whole the match."

Author(s)
Author Photo
Abhinav Sharma is a Content Producer for The Sporting News' India edition.
LATEST VIDEOS