These Matches Must Be Won, and We Deserved to Qualify for the Semi-Finals
Flick said: “We must win these matches, we are now in the semifinals and we are happy.”
He continued: “It was a tough match, we had many opportunities. I am proud of the team because they play every three days. The team is always ready and deserved the win.”
He added: “We need to improve our shooting, but we can’t talk about mentality. If you look at our matches on Wednesday, Saturday, and today, Tuesday, the team fights until the end. These are cup matches that must be won, and we did that.”
Flick also pointed out the difficulty of the schedule and the tension in the final minutes after Javi Moreno’s goal: “We played on Wednesday, then Saturday, and today, Tuesday, three matches in less than a week. This is what I mean when I say the team is always present. We controlled the first and second halves, although the defense faced some difficulties at the end.”
He added, “Cup matches like these are always tough. Albacete is a good team in the cup. We created many chances and missed them, and I think we made the match harder on ourselves.”
Regarding Ronald Araújo’s return to the team’s starting lineup and his goal, Flick said: “Everything must proceed step by step with Araújo. He will gain more confidence, and the team supports him.”
He also explained about young players like Marc Bernal: “He needs to play a little faster, but step by step.”
He concluded his remarks by saying: “A cup semi-final, among the top 8 teams in the Champions League, and leading in La Liga, we can say we are achieving our goals.”
