Flick after Barca's loss to Real Madrid: "We're not at one hundred percent freshness"

A defensive error, the same play that had already cost them dearly days earlier, and Real Madrid struck again. That image sums up Barcelona's afternoon at Spotify Camp Nou, where Hansi Flick's side fell 1-2 to their eternal rival in LaLiga EA Sports and watched a run that had seemed unbreakable come to an end.

Flick didn't hide after the match. "I'm not satisfied," admitted the German coach, who went straight to explaining what had gone wrong: "Today we saw that we're not at one hundred percent freshness." According to his account, the first half was weak, but the team reacted, managed to equalize and had the match in their hands. The problem, once again, came down to a single moment.

We made the same mistake on a high press, they found the transition and scored against usHansi Flick

The German coach tried to put the blow into perspective. For Flick, "losses are part of the game" and you have to "accept it," and he pointed out that this setback comes after ten league games without a loss, a fact worth keeping in mind amid the disappointment of the result.

Lack of freshness, the main diagnosis

If there's one word Flick repeated, it was "freshness." The coach explained that his team's level wasn't what it usually is, "maybe due to a lack of freshness," and pointed to the schedule: the buildup of travel and matches has taken its toll. That's why he announced that this Monday there will be a recovery session for players not traveling to the Ballon d'Or gala, and that the squad will have Tuesday off. "Now we have a whole week to disconnect a bit and prepare for the next match, to have more freshness and energy. The players need to disconnect a little," he said.

On the second half, Flick was clear: his team had "control of the match," but they lacked "a bit of luck." And he left a thought that helps explain how tight the result was: "Sometimes big games are decided by small details," details that didn't fall Barcelona's way this time. He also had words for the opponent, saying Real Madrid "pressed better than in previous years," that they have "great quality" and that "they didn't give Barcelona any space."

Any concern about what's coming? Flick said no, though he did admit that stringing together two straight losses, against PSG and now against Real Madrid, in the same week, is "too much."

Absences, returns and good news in midfield

On the medical front, Flick lamented the injury to Xavi Espart, the fourth defensive absence within the squad, though he tried to downplay it: it "is part of the game" and the team has "many options in defense." On the players working their way back, he said the progress of Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde "looks good," and that Andreas Christensen could return "next week."

The bright spot came with Frenkie de Jong, whose recovery the German coach celebrated: "He was training very well and had good rhythm. He gives us strength with the ball." With a free week ahead and several defensive pieces close to returning, Barcelona has some room to recharge before the next match.