Hansi Flick says 'Fati played well' in Barca's 1-0 win over Mallorca

Hansi Flick has made it known he was satisfied with Ansu Fati’s performance on Tuesday night when Barca edged Mallorca in a narrow 1-0 home win in La Liga.

The 22-year-old was handed his first Barca start in close to two years and apparently showed glimpses of his best level on the left flank, combining with the likes of Pedri Gonzalez, Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo in attack.

Only last weekend in Barca’s 4-3 dramatic comeback win over Celta Vigo, Fati appeared frustrated after not being subbed on in the second half of the match, kicking seats on the technical bench as the game neared its finale.

On Tuesday, he was handed his first start of the year and made sure Hansi Flick would rethink his playing time chances moving forward.

Flick has explained what Ansu did right on the day, stating that his performance showed why he needed to play against Mallorca.

“We all love Ansu Fati. He played well today. His teammates and the fans are happy too, he deserved to play and we’re all happy”, he said.

After the win over Mallorca, Barcelona are four wins away from a second La Liga title in three years, and that would be great for Fati, who played a key role for the Blaugrana when they last won it in 2023.