Barcelona coach Hansi Flick admitted his team struggled for cohesion during the first half of their Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg clash with Atletico Madrid, where the La Liga leaders ran riot to score four goals before the break at the Metropolitano.
“We didn’t play well as a team in the first half,” Flick told reporters. “The spacing was too wide, and our pressing wasn’t what we planned. Atletico punished us, and we were handed a big lesson.”
The German manager framed the setback as a learning moment for the squad. “Sometimes it’s good to get that wake-up call at the right time, and maybe today was the right moment. The second half was much better, and we still have one more game to fight for victory.”
Barca’s Pau Cubarsi saw a second-half goal controversially ruled out for offside, with VAR taking an extended review that left fans puzzled. Flick expressed his frustration over the lack of clarity and communication. “It’s a mess. They took seven minutes—was it seven?—to check something, but no one was told what exactly was offside. I thought it was clear there was no offside, but apparently they saw something different. Communication here is just so poor.”
Despite the humbling loss, Flick emphasized his team would regroup and approach the second leg with determination, using the first-leg lesson as a catalyst to sharpen their performance for the remainder of the season.
