Flick: The most important thing is this team's mentality, and we'll continue in the same spirit

Hansi Flick spoke after his Barcelona side secured a 4-1 victory over Espanyol in the Catalan derby, a match from the 31st round of the Spanish La Liga. Thanks to this win, the champions now hold a nine-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid, making the title look very much within reach with seven games remaining in the season. This result also provides a strong foundation for Barcelona ahead of their Champions League return leg against Atlético Madrid next week, especially after losing the first leg 0-2.

“We dominated the first half and had the opportunity to make it 2-0. We could have made substitutions, and they were made – De Jong and Olmo came on late. I’m happy for Ferran Torres. He looks good in training. All forwards need goals. I think Gerard Martin will be able to play on Tuesday. We’re scoring a lot of goals from set pieces. We’re not the tallest team, but it’s a matter of positioning and getting the ball into the right area. Olmo helped us, as did Frenkie, but we had to be careful with him due to his long-term injury.

Nothing is over yet. We have to do our job. We cannot say that everything is already decided. That attitude is wrong, and I don’t accept it. Until everything is finalized, we must play our best football. The most important thing is the mentality of this team, and we will continue in the same spirit. And I want us to prove it on Tuesday. We are not thinking negatively at all. On the contrary, I always think positively. I think about what we have already achieved – and it’s fantastic, considering all the injuries we’ve had and the fact that players are gradually returning,” Flick stated.