Flick's changes help Barça win, cutting short Rashford's full debut.

 

Flick's changes help Barça win, cutting short Rashford's full debut.

Ferran Torres commended Hansi Flick's tactical changes at halftime as Barcelona pulled off a spectacular comeback to defeat Levante 3-2 in La Liga on Saturday at the Ciutat de Valencia after falling behind two goals.

Ferran Torres hailed Hansi Flick's tactical changes at halftime as Barcelona made a great comeback to overcome Levante 3-2 at the Ciutat de Valencia in Laliga on Saturday. They were down by two goals.

Flick gave summer newcomer Marcus

Rashford his first start, shifted Raphinha to the middle, and picked Marc Casado to play with Pedri instead of the missing Frenkle de Jong.

However, after Levante went into the break with a 2-0 advantage, courtesy of an Iván Romero goal and a José Luis Morales penalty, Flick returned to a more familiar Barça lineup in the second half, bringing on Dani Olmo and Gavi for Rashford and Casadó.

As Barça equalized the match early in the second half with goals from Pedri and Torres, Unai Elgezabal inadvertently scored an own goal after Lamine Yamal made a great play on the right wing, sealing the comeback.

„[Flick] gab uns zur Halbzeit ein paar taktische Anpassungen, da wir nicht gut positioniert waren“, sagte Torres nach dem Spiel gegenüber Reportern.

“And, above all, he emphasized that we needed to demonstrate our character and that winning gene we possess. We emerged successfully and were impactful.

Last season, Barça often turned games around to secure victories, but they likely didn’t anticipate having to do it again so soon in the new season against newly-promoted Levante.

And Flick stated that his changes at half-time were essential for the Spanish champions to achieve two victories in two matches at the start of the new season.

Flick commented on Rashford's full LaLiga debut, saying, "I think Marcus had some situations in the first half where he showed how good he is and how he can help us."

In my view, this is where we need to carry on. In the second half, we need to change something, of course. On the left side, Raphinha is our No. 11.

“He is aware of everything [about our playing style]; what we want to do when he needs to come indoors. In my opinion, we made the right adjustments.

"“He is aware of everything [about our playing style]; what we want to do when he needs to come indoors. In my opinion, we made the right adjustments.

"However, scoring the first goal so early in the second half was a big boost for us and changed our strategy."

Although Barça secured three points, they demonstrated vulnerabilities in transition once more. Levante's goals resulted from quick incursions behind the high defensive line, and additional opportunities were generated as well.

Flick stated that it is a lesson his team needs to take into account for the future. Barça's next match will be an away game against Rayo Vallecano next weekend.

 “Levante defend very well; they have fast players, and their transitions are difficult to defend against if you make mistakes,” he added.

 While I feel proud [of the comeback], we need to improve this. Today we weren't flawless, but I believe it serves as a significant compliment to Levante as well.

 „We will discuss everything, analyse everything. Every match is always an opportunity for improvement. We need to improve it. With this match, we can achieve that.

 You Might Enjoy