Flick surprises Barcelona star: You amazed me with your performance against Red Star

Barcelona celebrated a decisive 5-2 victory over Red Star Belgrade in Serbia on Wednesday evening, marking their fourth Champions League group-stage match. This win brought Barcelona’s points tally to 9, positioning them in sixth place and moving them closer to a direct advancement to the Round of 16. Red Star, however, remains without points in the group.

According to the Spanish newspaper *El Nacional*, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was very pleased with the team’s commanding performance. The newspaper reported that Flick gave special praise to Jules Koundé, Barcelona’s French defender, for his outstanding contributions on both ends of the pitch, including creating three goals.

Flick also congratulated Íñigo Martínez, commending his strong performances and reaffirming that his decision to block Martínez’s departure last summer was one of his best decisions since taking over at Barcelona.

In an interesting development, Flick reportedly expressed reservations about Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, stating to an assistant that de Jong has yet to earn his full trust. Flick believes that Spanish player Dani Olmo would be a better fit in the starting lineup.

Despite the impressive win, Flick voiced concerns about Robert Lewandowski’s missed opportunities, even though the Polish striker scored twice. Flick cautioned Lewandowski that such misses could prove costly in crucial matches later in the season.