FC Barcelona advanced to the Copa del Rey semifinals after defeating Albacete 1-2 in the quarterfinals last night. The Blaugrana team scored two goals, one each from Lamine Yamal and Ronald Araujo.
Despite playing against a second-tier team, the Catalans were able to win by the narrowest of margins, and the last stages of the game were even more stressful when the hosts scored.
Still, Mundo Deportivo reports, Hansi Flick expressed pleasure with his team’s performance during a post-game press conference.
The German coach acknowledged his satisfaction after making it to the competition’s semi-finals.
“These are the games we must win. We’re in the semifinals, and we’re pleased.”
The Barcelona coach underlined his team’s ability to continue functioning despite their hectic schedule:
“It was a challenging encounter, and we had several opportunities. I am proud of our team because we play every three days. The squad is always ready and prepared. “We deserved to win.”
Hansi Flick also praised the team’s fighting spirit:
“We need to improve our finishing, but we can’t discuss mentality. If you look at how we played on Wednesday, Saturday, and today, Tuesday, the team is fighting to the end. These Cup games needed to be won, and that is exactly what we did.”
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The German coach once again emphasized the busy schedule:
“We played on Wednesday, Saturday, and today is Tuesday—three games in less than a week. That’s what I mean by “the team is always present.” We dominated both the first and second halves, but in the end, defending cost us more.”
The Barcelona coach also rued his team’s squandered opportunities:
“Cup contests like tonight’s are always challenging. Albacete are a strong squad in the Copa del Rey. We generated numerous opportunities but squandered them, and I believe we made things harder for ourselves.”
Ronald Araujo returned to the starting lineup after an extended absence, and Hansi Flick discussed his situation:
“With Araujo, we must proceed gradually. He will acquire confidence, and the team is behind him.”
Regarding Marc Bernal, the German coach stated:
“He needs to play a bit quicker, but step by step.”
Finally, the Barcelona coach expressed pleasure with his team’s performance in many competitions:
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