Barcelona played to a 1-1 draw against Real Betis in a Spanish La Liga match. This result saw Barcelona’s points rise to 67, maintaining their lead at the top of the standings, 4 points clear of second-placed Real Madrid. Their next match is away against Leganés on April 12, while Real Betis will face Villarreal at home on April 13.
Reports from the Spanish newspaper El Nacional reveal that Hansi Flick was highly frustrated with the draw, especially as it allowed the opportunity to extend Barcelona’s lead over Real Madrid to slip away. Flick was particularly upset with Barcelona’s star player, Lamine Yamal, blaming him for the missed chances and excessive dribbling during the match. He expressed his anger directly to Yamal in the locker room, saying, “At this level, we’ll hand the title to Real Madrid, I don’t want to see this performance from you again.”
Flick also criticized Alejandro Balde and Jules Koundé for their poor performances and warned them that they could be dropped from the starting lineup if their form doesn’t improve. Both players struggled defensively and offensively, contributing to the draw.
In a surprising twist, Barcelona president Joan Laporta entered the locker room and confronted Flick, holding him responsible for the result. Laporta expressed his displeasure with Flick’s decision to substitute Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, viewing their departure as a lack of intent to win. He also questioned why Robert Lewandowski played the entire match without substitution while the in-form Ferran Torres was taken off.
