Hansi Flick talks Olmo, Pedri, Yamal, Araujo, Lewandowski after Barcelona 5-1 Real Betis

Barcelona advanced to the quarterfinals of the Copa Del Rey with a resounding 5-1 victory over Real Betis.

It was an empowering display from the Catalans, who were coming on the back of the Spanish Super Cup triumph against Real Madrid.

Speaking to the media after the game, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick addressed questions on his team selection and the road ahead.

Hansi Flick’s post match presser

“After the big win over Real Madrid, it was important to see how the team would respond. It’s good to see how we played from the start,” Flick began (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

“I liked the team’s performance throughout the game. We knew that after the win on Sunday, it could be difficult because we could be completely disconnected.

“But we saw the mentality of the team. The players are very professional and know what they have to do in every moment,” the coach added.

Flick went on to explain some of the changes he made against Real Betis, including Robert Lewandowski starting on the bench.

“Lewandowski was rested,” Flick confirmed, dismissing any talk of a potential injury for the veteran Polish forward.

“[Dani] Olmo knows how to play as a 9 and he did it with the Spanish national team. Lewandowski was not an option today and the plan worked well,” he added.

Ansu Fati, meanwhile, once again failed to get into the team. Talking about the struggling forward, Flick said the player must show he is fit enough to start.

“I decide according to what I see in training For Ansu, it is not easy despite his good start to the season but then he got injured and then got injured again So he has to train and show that he is improving and that is the situation,” he said.

Meanwhile, there were certain green shoots for Barcelona, with respect to Frenkie de Jong and his performance against Real Betis.

“I’m very happy that he played today and put in this performance. I also think it’s a good step for him in the right direction. That’s what I see and what I saw, and I spoke to him after the game and he’s happy,” Flick said about de Jong.

The performance against Betis will certainly be a confidence booster for the Dutchman, whose future at Barcelona has come under focus in recent weeks.

Another future with an uncertain future at Camp Nou is Ronald Araujo, who is on the radar of multiple clubs across Europe. Flick, though, remained coy about the defender’s future.

“He has a contract I think for another year and a half. So I never doubted it. I don’t know, I’m glad he’s here. I’m glad he’s here and we’ll see what the future brings.

“At the moment, he is doing well. Today too, you can see that the fans appreciate his return. And of course, the team does too. He gives us something special,” he said.

Meanwhile, the German heaped praise on Pedri for his tireless work in the middle of the park.

“Pedri is everywhere. It’s unbelievable how he understands football. When you see the numbers you realise that he runs a lot and also does extraordinary things with the ball,” he said.

Pedri’s midfield partner Gavi has recently raised eyebrows with his statement on Lamine Yamal, as he labelled the young attacker as the ‘best footballer after Lionel Messi’.

When asked about this comparison, Flick said, “As you know Gavi is very emotional, so I say yes too. You can see that. I think in the big games you see he is a great talent, and he’s shown that many times.“

“He’s doing very well. But as you say, we have to take care of him because he’s still very young,” he said on Pedri.

Finally, the Barcelona coach offered his thoughts on the team’s sudden downturn at the end of 2024, with the team notably losing three home games in a row at one stretch.

“As I always say, we are a young team and we learn from every game and today too, I think they tried to put pressure on us and we did that well. We played confidently from the back and built the game up really well, so it’s very good to see that.

“The team is very young. Things like what we saw at the end of the year can happen. We have to think about the next game and trust in our abilities,” he concluded.