Barcelona extends lead to 9 points but maintains LaLiga title is not secured yet.
BARCELONA — Hansi Flick emphasizes that the LaLiga title is not secured yet, even after witnessing his Barcelona team defeat Espanyol 4-1 on Saturday, extending their lead over Real Madrid to nine points with only seven matches remaining.
Ferran Torres netted two goals, while Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford also contributed to the scoreline at Spotify Camp Nou, marking Barça’s eighth consecutive victory in the league.
This latest triumph for Barça followed another setback for Madrid, as Los Blancos experienced a draw against Girona on Friday after last week’s defeat to Mallorca.
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“It’s not finished yet,” Flick asserted during the post-match press conference. “Nine points is a positive margin. It feels good. However, we must remain diligent.
“We cannot adopt the mindset that it is over. That would be the wrong approach, and I would not tolerate it. Until it is truly over, we must perform at our best.”
Torres scored twice in the first half, giving Barça a two-goal advantage at halftime in Saturday’s Catalan derby.
These were the striker’s first goals since January 31, breaking a streak of 13 matches without scoring, and he celebrated by cupping his ears in response to the criticism he has received during that dry spell.
“Naturally, forwards are evaluated based on their goals,” Torres stated to reporters. “It had been a while since I last scored, but I always had faith in my efforts and that it would eventually pay off.
“There is often a lot of external noise surrounding me — more negative than positive. My actions seem to irritate them. Sometimes things don’t go as planned, but it’s not due to a lack of effort.”
Pol Lozano found the net in the 56th minute, bringing Espanyol back into contention, but Yamal’s 15th LaLiga goal of the season and a late strike from Rashford secured the victory for Barça.
Following the match, fans remained in the stadium chanting “Yes we can,” as focus shifted to Tuesday’s Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Atlético Madrid.
Atlético secured a 2-0 victory in the first leg at Camp Nou last Wednesday, but Flick and his squad are confident in their ability to mount a comeback in Madrid.
“The team is in high spirits, as you can see,” Flick remarked. “The atmosphere is positive. The players are in a good phase.
“We need to deliver a flawless performance, and we are capable of achieving that. I recognize that Atlético is an excellent team, but we also possess a strong squad.
“I believe everyone is prepared for this. Everyone is eager to demonstrate that we can accomplish this. We aim to go there and put up a strong challenge — often, games are influenced by momentum, and we hope that on [Tuesday], it will be in our favor.”
