'Proud' Flick loving life at Barcelona after emphatic Clasico victory
Hansi Flick is loving his time at Barcelona as he celebrated a resounding 4-0 success over Real Madrid in El Clasico.
Flick's side ran out convincing victors at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, with Robert Lewandowski scoring twice in quick succession before Lamine Yamal and Raphinha sealed the result.
Barca snapped a four-game losing streak against their fiercest rivals, while they also ended Madrid's hopes of matching their LaLiga-record unbeaten run of 43 games, which was set under Ernesto Valverde in 2018.
The Blaugrana's win came on the back of a 4-1 thrashing of Flick's former club Bayern Munich, and the ex-Germany coach is enjoying life at Barca.
"I'm delighted to be working at Barcelona and to live in Barcelona," he said after collecting his 10th LaLiga win from 11 games this season.
"It's a fantastic job, I'm very happy.
"We have played a fantastic game and I am so proud.
"We pressed better with and without the ball [in the second half]. We had more possession and that's why the game changed."
Barca's high line was a key factor in their victory, with Madrid caught offside eight times in the first half alone, with Kylian Mbappe in particular struggling to stay on the right side of the defence.
"The defensive effort was key," Flick added.
"We have trained a lot on how to defend with a high line and on how we want to press on the ball. It's also important not to leave spaces when you play Real Madrid because they have incredible players.
"I think we are doing well. We are sticking to our idea and right now we are fluid and we want to move forward."
Lewandowski has now scored 10 goals in 16 meetings with Madrid in all competitions, while he has already netted 14 times in LaLiga this term.
"We are very happy, very happy. To win here like this is a great victory," Lewandowski told DAZN.
"The season is long, but this victory can help us with a lot more, with confidence and football. So far we haven't won anything, but the important thing is that we have a clear idea, we know where we want to go on."
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Historic redemption: Dethroned Manning Cup champs Mona High secure Walker Cup triumph
Dethroned Manning Cup champions Mona High found solace and silverware on Friday, as they secured their first-ever ISSA/Digicel Walker Cup crown with a commanding 4-1 victory over Excelsior High in what turned out to be a lopsided final at the National Stadium.
The triumph, highlighted by Kshaine Gordon’s brace (52nd, 76th) and goals from Carlton Brown (34th) and Marlon Cunningham (55th), provided a fitting end to Mona’s campaign.
Technical Director Craig Butler, who announced his departure from schoolboy football, celebrated the victory as a testament to his team's resilience after their Manning Cup disappointment.
“I think it (time in schoolboy football) has been great; I think it is good for development, not just for Mona but the entire school system, as we sought more development versus recruiting for professionalism in the programme. So I am just proud and happy that I could have shared the time with Mona and that we have a team that is going to continue to develop good young footballers,” Butler said.
For Excelsior, who got their consolation from Damarley Williams (12th), the defeat marked another painful chapter in their Walker Cup history, extending their title drought, which dates back to 2008. Despite their energetic start, they faltered under pressure and failed to maintain their intensity or take advantage of critical moments.
Head coach Keon Broderick acknowledged that much.
“Defensive errors cost us dearly; when you make mistakes against a team with the quality in the attacking third like this Mona team, they will come back to haunt you,” Broderick said post-game.
After a lively start in which they displayed their attacking intent, Excelsior eventually opened the scoring when Williams unleashed a powerful right-footed shot from outside the 18-yard box that slipped past Mona’s goalkeeper, Riquelme Edwards.
The Mountain View-based team maintained their attacking momentum, with Kimarly Scott and Shadeko Wizzard creating opportunities, but they squandered critical chances, failing to capitalize on Mona’s defensive lapses.
In the 25th, Kimarly Scott should have doubled Excelsior’s lead when he got behind defenders, but fired a rushed effort over the crossbar. Seconds later, Scott again got into a decent position from Shadeko Wizzard’s delightful pass, but somehow again fired over the crossbar.
Excelsior were later punished for their missed opportunities as they watched Mona seize control of the match during a passage of sustained pressure. Mona found the equalizer when Kshaine Gordon outwitted his marker to set up Brown, who calmly finished from inside the box.
Excelsior had another chance to reclaim the lead on the stroke of half-time, but Wizzard’s shot from a promising position sailed wide, leaving the teams locked at 1-1 at the break.
The second half belonged entirely to Mona, as Gordon’s relentless energy paid off seven minutes into the resumption when he pounced on a loose ball to fire home from close range to put his team 2-1 up.
Three minutes later, Cunningham extended the advantage as he rose above Excelsior’s defenders to head home a perfectly weighted corner from Denzel McKenzie.
Mona’s attacking intent continued as Gordon returned to haunt Excelsior in the 76th minute, converting a through ball from McKenzie with a low drive that slipped under goalkeeper Jamari Gordon to cap the win.