Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has urged his team to improve despite a commanding 4-1 win over his former club, Bayern Munich, in the Champions League. Despite the victory breaking Barcelona’s six-game losing streak against the Bavarian giants, Flick remained critical of certain aspects of the team’s performance.
The match, played at Montjuic, saw the La Liga giants assert dominance early on. Brazilian forward Raphinha opened the scoring within the first minute, rounding Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after receiving a perfectly timed through ball from Fermín Lopez. Raphinha went on to complete a stunning hat-trick, but Flick was not fully satisfied with the team’s pressing.
“Today, in some moments, we did not press well, and we must improve that,” Flick said in his post-match comments. “We went 1-0 up and started really well, but then struggled a little bit. They deserved to equalise because they played well, but we came back, were brave, and had lots of possession.”
Despite Barcelona’s dominant display, Bayern briefly fought back when Harry Kane netted the equaliser in the 18th minute, after being denied earlier by both goalkeeper Inaki Pena and an offside call. However, Barcelona quickly regained control, with Robert Lewandowski restoring the lead with a clinical finish, catching Bayern’s Kim Min-Jae and Neuer off guard.
Raphinha added his second just before halftime, sliding the ball through Dayot Upamecano’s legs after a precise pass from Marc Casado. He completed his hat-trick in the second half, finishing off a brilliant assist from Lamine Yamal, sealing the game for Barcelona.
While Bayern sought a response, with Kingsley Coman coming close, their efforts were thwarted by Barcelona’s solid defense. The win propels Barcelona to six points in their Champions League campaign, while Bayern faces increasing pressure after a second consecutive defeat.
Flick’s cautious optimism reflects Barcelona’s ambitions this season, as the team looks to continue its European campaign with room for tactical improvements. “I think how we created the chances and also how we finished them was unbelievable,” he said. However, his focus remains on tightening up areas of the team’s play as they progress through the competition.
