Flick delivers verdict as new Barcelona boss gets his Blaugrana reign underway

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has praised his side for their performance in Tuesday's pre-season friendly with Manchester City.

The Catalan giants opened their preparations for the 2024-25 campaign with a 2-2 draw against Man City, with new signing Pau Victor and returning midfielder Pablo Torre on the scoresheet in Orlando, Florida.

The match was Flick's first since being confirmed as the club's new head coach, and the German has delivered his verdict on the pre-season friendly.

"We were really good against a great team. We defended together and attacked together, as a team, and that's what we want. We fought for each other," Flick told reporters.

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Flick says Barcelona "were really good against a great team"

"Maybe in the first half we were too deep, our idea is to be a bit more forward, we need more possession, but we play against Manchester City. I wasn't sure if we could be at a high level defensively, but we did it. It was a great game.

"Pep Guardiola has been there for eight years and we want to do the same as them in terms of philosophy. Maybe a little bit different but with that idea.

"I don't like to talk about individual players, it's a team, not individual players. If they play hard, that's what we want. We want to be a team that fights.

"There are situations where they have fought, worked and wanted to work for the team. It's fantastic, especially for the youngsters.

"The first few days we focused on the physical part, also some tactical sessions, on defence-attack transitions. We showed them what we wanted and the boys did very well against a fantastic team."

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What next for Barcelona?

Next up for Barcelona is a clash against Real Madrid on Saturday night, before ending their US Tour with another glamour friendly with AC Milan.

The Catalan giants will then face Monaco in the Joan Gamper Trophy on August 12, before opening their 2024-25 La Liga campaign against Valencia on August 17.

There was a penalty shootout in the aftermath of the 2-2 draw against Man City on Tuesday night, which Barcelona won 4-1, with Robert Lewandowski among those on the scoresheet.

Barcelona are continuing to work on transfer deals amid their financial issues, but the club could be forced to admit defeat in their pursuit of Athletic Bilbao and Spain star Nico Williams.