Soccer Football - Champions League - FC Barcelona v Brest - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain - November 26, 2024 FC Barcelona coach Hansi Flick looks at his watch as Brest coach Eric Roy looks on REUTERS/Albert Gea
(Reuters) - Barcelona manager Hansi Flick praised his players as they bounced back from consecutive LaLiga disappointments with what he described as a great performance to thump French side Brest 3-0 in their Champions League clash on Tuesday.
Flick said on Monday that his side's recent form was a major worry after they failed to win for a second successive LaLiga game, but the German coach was delighted with how his players responded.
"Very happy. We deserved it, winning by three goals but we could have scored more," Flick told Movistar Plus.
"But I'm happy either way because delivering a performance like this after (a 2-2 draw at Celta) Vigo (on Saturday) is just great."
Flick praised Barca striker Robert Lewandowski who scored twice to join Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the only players to reach 100 goals in the competition, but said that he preferred his team's collective effort on Tuesday.
"Lewandowski is great, I'm delighted with his goals. I think Lewandowski knows he has to score and he is in the position to do it, but the important thing is what the team generates," Flick said.
"Obviously, he knows he has to score and he plays for it, but what this team does is just wonderful."
Tuesday's victory lifted Barca to second in the 36-team Champions League table on 12 points from five games, one point behind Inter Milan and level with third-placed Liverpool, who host Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Flick's team are on top in the LaLiga standings with 34 points, four ahead of rivals Real Madrid in second, who have a game in hand.
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Toby Davis)
