Hansi Flick unsatisfied in 3-0 Barca victory as Lamine Yamal makes Ballon d’Or case

Eric Rutter

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Hansi Flick unsatisfied in 3-0 Barca victory as Lamine Yamal makes Ballon d’Or case image

On the surface, Barcelona’s 3-0 victory over Mallorca to begin the La Liga campaign could be viewed through an encouraging lens, but FCB manager Hansi Flick sees the club’s win in a different light. 

During the first half, Barca was able to manage a two-goal output, while Mallorca lost two players to red cards for the remainder of the match, so all signs appeared to point towards a seamless season opener for the Blaugrana. However, Flick suspects that his players detected a similarly simple path towards victory and eased up on the gas pedal as a result. 

“I didn't like the game,” Flick told Mundo Deportivo. “After a 2-0 deficit and two red cards, I think the team played at 50 percent, and I didn't like it. We can do better.”

Early on, star winger Lamine Yamal sent in a deft cross past the Mallorca back line and timed up Raphina’s run for a clean header just before the 8th minute to give Barca an expeditious 1-0 lead. During the 24th minute, confusion struck the pitch when a Mallorca defender appeared to suffer a head injury and stayed down for an extended period of time. Still, Ferran Torres attempted to keep the play alive, gained possession of the ball and ripped a shot into the Mallorca net for a 2-0 Barca advantage. The Mallorca squad protested this decision, citing a head injury to Antonio Raillo, though a stoppage was not given. 

Tensions continued to rise towards the end of 1st half as Raphina delivered a rough challenge from behind and picked up a yellow card for his efforts. Mallorca faithful argued that Raphina’s actions warranted a red card, but the match continued to progress nonetheless. 

The second half saw a less eventful period of play, and that is perhaps what irritated Flick so much. Barca possessed a two-man advantage for the entirety of the second half and only produced a one-goal output, so the German manager has a valid point of contention. 

Of course, no Barcelona fixture would be complete without a bit of wizardry from 18-year old sensation Yamal. In stoppage time, the Spanish prodigy darted from the right wing towards the inside of the pitch and fired a shot top-shelf to secure a 3-0 win for Barca. Yamal’s two goal contributions followed a productive preseason for the La Masia product, and he appears to be well within the discussion for the 69th edition of the Ballon d’Or later this calendar year. Flick went on to praise the inspired performance of his talented youngster.

“The important thing is that he plays at this high level,” Flick said. “He's special, and everyone looks up to him. What I see is that he's very motivated. He's always willing to push. Everyone sees that he's exceptional.”

It is also of note that Jules Kounde, Gavi, Dani Olmo and Marcus Rashford all came off the bench for Barca in this fixture, so Flick is comfortable rotating his lineup depending on the opponent. Barcelona has a loaded fixture of matches as it competes across four competitions for the 2025-26 season, so Flick will likely employ a bevy of options as the La Liga season heats up. 

For more information on La Liga and each of its 20 first division clubs, follow @EricJRutter and @sportingnews on X for continued football coverage.

Eric Rutter

Eric Rutter is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. When he's not writing, Eric is either traveling or planning his next big adventure. He is an avid Aston Villa fan and a graduate of the University of Michigan.