Barcelona temporarily widened their lead at the top of the La Liga table to seven points ahead of fierce rivals Real Madrid after a hard-fought victory over Real Mallorca on Tuesday evening.
The match, held at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, was part of the 33rd round of the league campaign. With this important win, Barcelona now stands at 76 points, while Real Mallorca remains in seventh place with a total of 44 points.
According to reports from Spanish outlet El Nacional, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick expressed mixed emotions following the result. While he was pleased with the three points, he was far from satisfied with his team’s overall performance. Flick pointed out that, despite the narrow scoreline, Barcelona created numerous clear opportunities that went unconverted, believing the final result should have been far more decisive.
The publication revealed that Flick, instead of offering blanket praise to his squad, chose to single out midfielder Pedri for an exceptional display. Pedri was instrumental in Barcelona’s attacking efforts, creating a total of six chances — the highest by any player in the match.
The German coach commended him personally, reportedly telling Pedri, “I don’t have the words to describe how amazing you are,” underlining how crucial his efforts were in securing the victory.
In addition to Pedri’s standout showing, Flick also applauded the return of Dani Olmo, who impressed on his return to the lineup. The coach encouraged Olmo to maintain that high standard in Barcelona’s upcoming high-stakes fixtures, particularly the final against Real Madrid and the Champions League clash with Inter Milan.
However, Flick’s post-match assessment wasn’t entirely positive. He openly expressed his disappointment with the performance of young talent Lamine Yamal, who, despite being one of Barcelona’s brightest prospects this season, failed to deliver on the night.
Flick criticized Yamal for focusing too much on individual flair rather than contributing to the team’s objectives, warning him of potential consequences if such habits persist, especially with decisive matches approaching.
Flick also addressed Ferran Torres’ poor performance, noting the player’s wastefulness in front of goal. The coach reminded Torres of the importance of taking chances in key moments, especially with the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals on the horizon.
The warning was clear — future opportunities in the starting eleven would be earned through focus and clinical finishing, not reputation alone.
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