Hansi Flick is confident Barcelona will bounce back from their dip in form after the winter break, although he acknowledged the slump is “not normal”.
Barcelona were beaten 2-1 by Atletico Madrid on Saturday, with Alexander Sorloth's final goal sealing a comeback victory for Diego Simeone's team.
Atleti then moved three points clear of the Blaugrana at the top of LaLiga, with Barca dropping to third heading into Christmas if Real Madrid beat Sevilla on Sunday.
Barcelona have now gone three games without a LaLiga win, taking five points from a possible 21 and suffering home defeats to Leganes and Las Palmas prior to their loss to Atleti.
Flick isn't too worried, though.
“It was unbelievable how we played. Maybe this break came at the right time,” he said.
“I appreciate how we played. But we have to learn from these things. Losing nine points is not normal and we have to work on it.”
“The points lost against Las Palmas and Leganes are a thing of the past. We will show how strong we are after the break. We are very disappointed about the defeat, but life goes on.”
3 – #Barcelona have lost each of their last three home games in @LaLigaEn. It's their worst streak in the league after two other three-game losing streaks in 1965 and 1987. Breakdown. pic.twitter.com/3UPBkB0WvI
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) December 21, 2024
“When I drive to training, I am happy because I can train with these players. Now there is not a good atmosphere in the dressing room, but that is football. We will definitely come back.”
“We have to build confidence and make them proud of how they play. My job is to give confidence to all the players. I am happy with this team, it is young and has fantastic quality.”
Barca certainly had chances against Atleti, who failed to register a shot in the first half.
The Blaugrana went ahead through Pedri's goal in the 30th minute, with Raphinha hitting the crossbar just before Rodrigo De Paul made it 1-1, with Jan Oblak staying steadfast in Atleti's goal to frustrate Flick's team ahead of Sorloth's loser until deep into stoppage time.
Barcelona have now lost three home games in a row for the third time in LaLiga history, following losses in October-November 1965 and September-October 1987, while it was their first home defeat to Atleti in the competition since 2006.
They won't be back in LaLiga action until January 18, when they take on Getafe. Before then, they will play Barbastro in the Copa del Rey and take part in the Supercopa de Espana, where they will face Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals.
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