Hansi Flick left the pitch looking dejected at half-time. Barcelona were not clicking at the Sánchez-Pizjuán and solutions had to be found. The draw was not enough for him, and the Blaugrana machinery needed adjusting. Once again, the German coach found the answer. In the second half, Barça turned the game around, scoring three goals to secure victory.
“I’m very happy to have won here,” were his first words after sealing an impressive 1-3 victory that keeps the team at the top of the table, against a Sevilla side that has been improving.
He did not hide the fact that “it was a difficult game in the first half, with some mistakes, but we knew how to solve them in the second half.”
And the great game-changer was Raphinha, who is enjoying a sensational run of form. He scored a hat-trick, further boosting statistics that would have seemed unimaginable for a player operating as a false nine. He now has 12 goals in LaLiga and 14 in all competitions, including the Champions League.
“For the club, it’s the best decision. When you see how he connects with the fans and with the team. He is a leader, he gives everything,” Flick said. He added: “What he is doing this season is spectacular; the second half today was incredible.”
Away from the Brazilian’s outstanding performance, one question was inevitable: why did Flick choose Livakovic?
The German coach explained how he came to the decision to hand him his debut ahead of Szczesny, whom he had previously indicated could replace Joan García.
“Sometimes you don’t just have to analyse everything, you also have to trust your feelings. That was my feeling and that’s what we decided. It has nothing to do with us not believing in Szczesny; we simply thought Livakovic could be better,” he explained, stressing that “it is not a fixed decision, it was a decision for today’s game.”
He admitted that it had been “a difficult situation” and extended that sentiment to other players.
“For him not to play, for Gavi not to play... For me, that is difficult, but you have to think about the team. There is nothing personal against the players.”
Flick also revealed that Christensen will be out for several weeks. “It’s a muscle injury, but we have to wait for the tests.”
Rodri also received his share of praise.
“He is a great player, with and without the ball. He controls everything, he gives us calmness in our positional play,” Flick said.
“He connects well with Pedri and the centre-backs.”
That led him to reiterate that “we can be happy with what we did.”