Barcelona suffered a 0-3 home defeat to Monaco in the Joan Gamper Trophy final, marking their first absence from the competition’s title race in 12 years. The loss followed a disallowed goal for Raphinha in the first half, and the team conceded three goals in the second half. After the match, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez spoke with the media.
Flick stated, “If we could have gone 1-0 up, the match would have been different. Our pace in the first half wasn’t as high as we expected. Although we were gradually improving, a mistake allowed the opponent to score the opening goal. We can play better, and we have five days to prepare for the match against Valencia.”
“Losing now is better than losing during the season. It’s not easy to lose 0-3, but the atmosphere at Montjuïc was fantastic. When we launched quick attacks, the fans’ response was perfect, but we need to give them excitement on the pitch.”
“Our speed and passing weren’t as good as in previous matches, and we didn’t control the game. Monaco gradually improved, and their exploiting our mistake to score first was a turning point in the match.”
“I know the team’s potential. This match didn’t reflect our true level, we played poorly, but we’ll be different in Valencia. I’m confident we’ll have another performance. We need to improve the intensity in training. We need to improve our performance. We’ll analyze it, and I believe we’ll do better on Saturday.”
“We’ll see if Yamal and Ferran Torres can get a lot of minutes against Valencia. We need to monitor their condition at the end of the match, as it’s not easy during preseason. Our responsibility is to help the players.”
“I know Olmo, he has been great in the Bundesliga. He’s a player who is very good in the final third, capable of scoring goals and changing the game.”
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