Barcelona cannot afford any complacency in the home stretch of the LaLiga title race, coach Hansi Flick warned on Monday after his side were forced to dig deep to claim a 4-3 comeback win over Celta Vigo on Saturday.
The LaLiga leaders had to fight back from 3-1 down to beat Celta and conceded three goals for a second straight match after their 3-1 quarter-final second leg loss to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last week.
The Catalan outfit have 73 points from 32 matches, four ahead of rivals Real Madrid, who were also made to work hard for their 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.
“We must always improve. After Dortmund, after Celta, we have to do much better. We have the quality to beat anyone, but we have to do it well,” Flick told reporters ahead of a home meeting with Mallorca on Tuesday.
“The comeback against Celta, that positive energy, that’s the state of mind we need.
“LaLiga has a high level and the objective is to not drop points, but it’s not easy. We saw that against Celta. I hope it’s a wake-up call, it’s a long road. Madrid are fantastic and they also want to achieve their objectives.”
On Tuesday, Barcelona host seventh-placed Mallorca, who are looking to qualify for European football next season.
“Mallorca are having a very good season. They can go to Europe. It will be a tough game. They defend very well. They make good transitions,” Flick said.
Flick, who may look to rotate his squad against Mallorca with one eye on the Copa del Rey final against Real on the weekend, urged some of Barcelona’s disgruntled fringe players to do their talking on the pitch if they are given a chance.
In the win over Celta, video footage appeared to show attacker Ansu Fati angrily kicking a water cooler when he was not brought on despite warming up, while defender Hector Fort and Flick had a tense exchange on the pitch after the match.
“I understand that they are not happy, I was a player myself. Everyone wants to prove themselves and help the team,” the German said.
“I understand the feeling, but not the reaction … Victories have to be celebrated. The reaction has to be on the pitch, not off it.”
