Flick delighted with Barca’s thrashing of Madrid, Ancelotti rues misses

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said he was proud of his players after they earned a stunning 4-0 win at Real Madrid on Saturday, handing their bitter rivals their first defeat in 42 LaLiga games and grabbing Barca their first Clasico triumph since March 2023.

Flick said that he was delighted with a victory that wrapped Barca's remarkable week beating two European powerhouses in commanding fashion as they also thrashed Bayern Munich 4-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday.

“I'm delighted to be working at Barcelona and to live in Barcelona. It's a fantastic job, I'm very happy. We have played a fantastic game and I am so proud,” Flick, who has been in charge of an outstanding start at the helm of the Catalonia giants with 10 wins from 11 LaLiga games, said.

Despite Real dominating proceedings early, Robert Lewandowski scored a quick-fire second-half double to set the leaders on course for a 4-0 thrashing, before Lamine Yamal and captain Raphinha wrapped up a comfortable win late on at a stunned Bernabeu.

“We pressed better with and without the ball. We had more possession and that's why the game changed,” Flick said.

“The defensive effort was key. We have trained a lot how to defend with a high line and on how we want to press on the ball. It's also important not to leave spaces when you play Real Madrid because they have incredible players.

“I think we are doing well. We are sticking to our idea and right now we are fluid and we want to move forward.”

Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti lamented his side's missed opportunities but said it was not all doom and gloom despite the result.

“It was an evenly played match, until they scored their first goal. We played with intensity in the first half but lacked a bit of accuracy.

“We had chances to take the lead but they scored two goals, which sapped our energy. That's when another game started,” Ancelotti told a press conference of Lewandowski's quick-fire double early in the second-half to set the LaLiga leaders Barca on course for a 4-0 thrashing.

Before that, the home side had dominated possession and missed various chances, mainly through off-form Kylian Mbappé. Yamal and Raphinha wrapped Barca's win later.

“We are hurt, it's a tough moment, but I want to thank the fans for their support. We don't have to throw everything away, because there is nothing to throw away,” added a downhearted Ancelotti.

“We have to forget the last 30 minutes. The season is very long, we must not give up. We have to learn from it. It's time to bounce back. The season is long. We must not throw everything away. The team can do better and we will.”

Ancelotti said he thinks Real Madrid deserved better and that he didn't believe the result told the true story of the match, but acknowledged that his team paid the price for missing so many chances.

“We couldn't take the lead and they went ahead and took it. The game, until the first goal, was very even and we had more chances,” Ancelotti said, before commenting on Mbappé's lacklustre performance, being caught offside nine times.

“It was known Barca use a high defence and we barely took advantage of it. [Mbappé] had chances and sometimes was offside, but he had three or four chances where he needed to be more accurate...”

Barca stretched their lead at the top with 30 points, six above Real who saw their 42-game unbeaten LaLiga run come to a bitter end after 13 months, leaving them one tantalising positive result away from equalling the Catalans' league record of 43. 

Reuters