Hansi Flick admitted Barcelona were far from their best after battling to a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United in a hard-fought UEFA Champions League encounter at St James’ Park.
On a demanding European night in Tyneside, Barca were pushed by Newcastle’s aggressive pressing and transition play.
While the Spanish giants managed to secure a valuable away result, Flick acknowledged his side struggled to control possession and committed too many errors during the contest.
“We didn’t play a good game with the ball” he said. “We lost possession too many times and made a lot of mistakes. That’s what Newcastle United wanted.
“In the end they are a team that looks for that and thrives on recoveries and transitions. What I want to praise about my team today is that we defended together. Defensively we were good and that’s what I’m satisfied with.”
Despite the difficulties, the Blaugrana managed to remain compact and resilient at the back, which ultimately helped them secure a draw in a high-intensity match.
“Today was a very intense game. When we had the ball it was easier, but that wasn’t for very long. We accept it, we’ll analyse it and we’ll try to do better in the next game.”
Flick also revealed the club opted for caution regarding Eric Garcia, explaining that the defender was not risked during the match despite his importance to the squad.
“We didn’t want to take any risks with Eric Garcia. He’s a very important player for us, but we have other players who are ready.”
Meanwhile, the Barcelona coach took a moment to commend the performance of young talent Xavi Espart, who impressed on his debut appearance.
“He did well, had some good actions one-on-one and made the most of his opportunity.”
With the tie still finely balanced, Barcelona will now look to build on the defensive resilience shown in England as they prepare for the next leg, hoping to sharpen their attacking play while maintaining their solid structure at the back.
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