Barcelona registered a comfortable 5-0 win over Swiss champions Young Boys on Tuesday night, and it was almost a perfect evening for Hansi Flick, who saw Ansu Fati on the pitch again and Frenkie de Jong return to action. A potential muscle issue for veteran defender Inigo Martinez may be the only sour note of the night.
The 33-year-old centre-back was one the scoresheet in the first half, notching his first goal for the Blaugrana. He was asked about his wild celebrations after it.
“I hadn’t been able to score for a while and I had even forgotten the celebration. I’m happy for the goal, but above all for the three points, because we had to win no matter what after the defeat against Monaco,” he told MD.
Meanwhile he came off with just six minutes remaining to be replaced by 17-year-old Andres Cuenca for his debut, breeding fears that he might have an injury. He confirmed that he felt muscle discomfort before coming off.
De Jong: "When you're injured you always have a bad time. Yes, it's been long and hard, and at times, I've had a hard time."
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) October 2, 2024
“I could have continued, but I had had this strain for a while and we decided to make the change.”
Finally, Martinez was positive about manager Hansi Flick’s work, commenting that the players are comfortable with what is being asked of him.
“Since the coach arrived, the idea worked well. We have felt comfortable with this style of play and the way of pressing. We must continue, let this not stop, and time will tell how far we go.”
Martinez has been crucial for Barcelona so far this season, and until last weekend, had started all of the Blaugrana’s games, and as the only veteran in the backline, has had to step up to lead the defence. The Blaugrana will face Alaves on Sunday afternoon, and it remains to be seen whether he will be rested going into the international break, or if the muscle problem is something more.
