Barcelona‘s jaded players have been given two days off to reset after defeat to Girona on Monday cost them top spot in LaLiga.
Fran Beltrán struck an 86th-minute winner as Girona secured a surprise 2-1 win at Montilivi just days after Barça were thumped 4-0 by Atlético Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal.
Lamenting a second-straight defeat, Barça coach Hansi Flick said his players are tired after a gruelling run of 13 games in 44 days ended with Real Madrid leapfrogging them in the league.
Madrid, who are on an eight-game winning run in LaLiga, sit two points clear of Barça at the summit with 14 games to play.
The two teams will meet in a potentially title-deciding Clásico at the beginning of May.
“I will give the team two days off,” Flick confirmed. “It’s important they rest. Then we prepare for Levante [on Sunday]. Now we have to fight and attack the first place in the table.”
After finishing in the top eight of the Champions League league phase — therefore progressing directly to the round of 16 — Barça will now benefit from two free mid-weeks.
Flick hopes the time will serve to reenergise his squad and to recover injured players Pedri, [Marcus] Rashford and Gavi.
“The players are really tired,” Flick added. “We will fight. We have time to come back now in the next two weeks, no midweek games, we will train good.
“Hopefully next week we have more players. Pedri and Marcus Rashford [are close]. Gavi will start training with the team. Step by step. We can play on another level.”
– Flick won’t blame ‘clear’ foul in shock Barcelona loss
– Barcelona taught ‘lesson’ by Atlético Madrid in Copa rout
– Echeverri happy at Girona after ‘very bad time’ in Germany
Despite being critical of his own team’s performance against Girona, Flick was also angered by the failure to give a foul on Jules Koundé in the build-up to Beltrán’s winner, which came after Thomas Lemar cancelled out Pau Cubarsí‘s opener.
Claudio Echeverri, on loan from Manchester City, stepped on Koundé, but the VAR did not deem it a reviewable offence and the goal stood.
The decision led to Flick walking away from an interview with DAZN when the journalist refused to give their opinion on whether it had been a foul or not.
“You have no opinion?” the German coach replied. “OK, then I also don’t. I have nothing to say. OK, thanks a lot.”
