Hansi Flick: Barcelona at 50% in Mallorca Win
Barcelona Starts La Liga Title Defence with a Strong 3-0 Win in Mallorca
Barcelona kicked off their La Liga title defence with a dominant 3-0 victory over Mallorca, thanks in part to their opponents receiving two first-half red cards. Manu Morlanes was sent off after arguing with officials and then making a reckless challenge, while Vedat Muriqi’s foul further weakened Mallorca’s chances of a comeback.
Despite the convincing win, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick expressed his disappointment with his team’s performance, citing that playing at only 50% against nine players is not acceptable. Flick emphasized the need for improvement and higher standards from his players moving forward.
Flick’s Selection Dilemma: Rashford vs. Torres
Looking ahead to upcoming matches against Levante and Rayo Vallecano, Flick faces a decision between starting Torres or Rashford in the absence of Robert Lewandowski. Despite Rashford’s strong preseason showing, Torres got the nod in the Mallorca game, with Flick opting to ease Rashford into the team gradually.
The decision to prioritize getting Rashford’s registration sorted out before his debut influenced Flick’s choice, and while Rashford made a late appearance in the Mallorca match, the likelihood is that Torres will retain his starting spot in the upcoming fixtures.
