Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has admitted that his team lacked freshness during their 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the 10th round of La Liga.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the German manager expressed disappointment with the result but insisted that his players must learn from the setback and respond positively.
"Two defeats in a row – we're not happy, we're disappointed. We didn't play particularly well in the first half. In the second half, at 1-1, we started to improve, but we lacked freshness," Flick said, as quoted by Marca.
The Barcelona coach acknowledged the quality of Real Madrid's performance, particularly their defensive organization.
"We played against a top-quality opponent who were very intelligent without the ball. We lacked freshness. The last few weeks, especially the period after the Betis match, have been difficult. We need to rest and respond properly to this defeat. That's exactly what we'll do," he added.
Despite the disappointment, Flick stressed that there was no reason to panic following Barcelona's first league defeat of the season.
"This is our first defeat in La Liga. We had won nine consecutive matches before this. Defeats are part of sport. We need to analyze the situation and improve, and we will. The important thing is how we react."
The German coach also emphasized that the season remains long and that setbacks are inevitable.
"A defeat is not the end of the world. There's still a long way to go, and these things happen. It should make us reflect and improve," Flick concluded.
Barcelona had previously suffered a defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, meaning the loss to Real Madrid marked their second consecutive setback in all competitions.
