Hansi Flick stated Barcelona want a break after Atlético Madrid inflicted a 3rd straight dwelling league defeat on them to exchange them on the high of LaLiga on Saturday.
Alexander Sørloth scored a 96th-minute winner on the Olympic Stadium after Rodrigo De Paul had cancelled out Pedri‘s opener as Atlético got here from behind to make it 12 consecutive wins in all competitions.
Atlético’s kind couldn’t distinction extra with Barça’s, who’ve now gained simply considered one of their final seven league video games heading into the winter break in Spain.
“Now it is a break and I feel everybody wants this break,” Flick stated within the post-game information convention. “After the break we are going to practice and we are going to present how sturdy we’re.
“For us now, we’re all upset about this defeat as a result of we performed incredible. Now we are going to rejoice Christmas, begin coaching on Dec. 29 and give attention to what we will do within the subsequent half of the season.”
Barça had been 10 factors away from Atlético at the beginning of November, however Saturday’s defeat noticed them fall three factors behind Diego Simeone’s facet, who even have a recreation in hand.
Nonetheless, Flick felt his workforce’s efficiency was a lot improved from how they’ve performed in latest weeks, once they have dropped factors in opposition to Actual Sociedad, Celta Vigo, Actual Betis, Las Palmas and Leganés.
Pedri gave them a deserved lead in opposition to Atlético and solely a mix of missed probabilities and sensible goalkeeping from Jan Oblak prevented them from including to their benefit.
“It was actually unbelievable how we play,” Flick added. “That is how I wish to see my workforce. I’m proud. It exhibits additionally that Atlético is an skilled workforce and so they simply ready for this and for them it is sufficient.
“I feel our fashion, how we wish to play, it was actually nice, incredible. It is actually disappointing that now we have nothing in our palms [from the game], that is the large disappointment.
“I stated to the workforce I actually recognize how we play. Possibly now we have to play extra clever. We had been punished for possibly two errors, now we have to find out about this stuff, however this, for me, is the way in which.
“The standard we performed, how we performed … I feel everybody right here within the room can see this. That is additionally the fashion how Barça wish to play, how they wish to dominate, however on the finish it is soccer and the workforce who scores extra aim wins.”
Flick additionally downplayed ceding high spot to in-form Atlético, whereas Actual Madrid can even transfer forward of Barça in the event that they beat Sevilla on Sunday.
“I do know that we performed incredible within the first three months of the season, however on the finish we misplaced a whole lot of factors and now we’re not chief of the desk,” he stated.
“However, on the finish, it is also nonetheless an excellent place, to let you recognize the place you wish to go. I am not apprehensive about that. The workforce’s doing actually good. Right now they confirmed everybody how good they’ll play. From now, this needs to be our normal.”
The German coach additionally reserved particular reward for Pedri, who other than his aim delivered an excellent efficiency in opposition to Atlético, creating 4 huge probabilities that weren’t taken by his teammates.
“It is actually good to see that he is now on this stage,” Flick stated. “How he performed was incredible, the aim was unbelievably good. While you see him now on the pitch, he is additionally teaching the opposite gamers round him. That is good. It is the following step for him. He is 22-years-old and he is on the correct approach.”
