WHAT HAPPENED?
Flick’s side ran riot at the Santiago Bernabeu last week, beating rivals Real Madrid 4-0 to extend their advantage at the top of La Liga. The German head coach prides himself on playing a high line and despite the pressure of the match, refused to drop it and even threatened to substitute any player who did not adhere to his wishes.
WHAT FLICK SAID
According to Mundo Deportivo, Flick based his half-time team talk on the offside trap, saying: “Anyone who drops back a metre, I’ll substitute them.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
His words worked a treat and Madrid were caught offside 12 times in the match. Eight of those offsides were given against Kylian Mbappe, who struggled in his first ever Clasico. Flick’s impressive squad marched on and put a six-point buffer between them and their arch-rivals only 11 games into the season.
WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?
La Blaugrana take on city rivals Espanyol at home this Saturday, and they have a chance to put further distance between themselves and Real after their game against Valencia was postponed due to floods in southern Spain.