Flick gives FC Barcelona a 10 after Bayern Munich were thrashed

FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick gave his team a “ten” after they beat Bayern Munich 4-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday.

There had been talk in the run-up to the game about Bayern being Barca's “ogres” and bogeymen in Europe, but with a hat-trick from Raphinha and another goal from Robert Lewandowski, the hosts made light work of the reigning Bundesliga kings at the Montjuic Stadium Work stadium.

“The game is a ten because of the result and also because of the game. I think it’s great,” said Flick after the final whistle.

“After the first goal we had ten, fifteen minutes that cost us a bit, but it's good to see that the team is recovering and reacting. We have a young team and it is important to see them competitive in this way. “We’re trying to play better in every game,” he added.

As a former Bayern coach who won the treble with Bayern in 2019/20, it was a special occasion for Flick, who described the guests as “a wonderful team with great players who play very well”.

“You want to see them play. We are two teams that have a very similar philosophy. When you win a game like that, you have to celebrate. It is very important to win at home in this competition. “We have self-confidence for the game on Saturday,” Flick continued, hinting at a possible title-deciding edition of the Clasico against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

Despite the landmark result, Flick said it was “still too early” to talk about Barca being contenders to win their first UCL title since 2015.

“There is still a long way to go. We prepare and think from game to game, knowing that there is still a lot to improve,” he emphasized.

About his MVP Raphinha, who scored in the first and last minutes of the first half before completing his hat trick in the second half, Flick called him a “great player” who “works very well with the team”.

“He always gives his all in training and plays with a lot of intensity. He is very important for us, he relieves pressure very well and has very good dynamics,” said Flick.