'The best player in the world' - Hansi Flick makes huge Lamine Yamal claim after Barcelona star shines in 5-2 demolition of Real Betis

Flick did not hold back in his praise for Lamine Yamal following the winger's masterclass in a 5-2 victory over Real Betis at La Cartuja. The German tactician, who has seen many world-class talents throughout his career with Bayern Munich and the German national team, suggested that the 19-year-old has now surpassed his peers to become the leading figure in the game. Flick's comments came after Yamal orchestrated a dominant attacking display that kept the Catalan giants firmly at the top of the La Liga table.

"When you see the first goal he scored, it's incredible; right now he is the best player in the world," Flick told the media during his post-match press conference. "I am very happy with his performance and that is what I want to say. Of course, he has pressure, he is 19 years old and has played every game, but he is 100% focused and committed and he is very good, his performance has been incredible and his attitude, and that is how great players are."

"With this result, we had to change him, it was clear, and I told him that I was very proud because he had played a fantastic game," the coach added.

While the mood in the camp was buoyed by the high-scoring win, Flick is facing a burgeoning injury crisis in his defensive ranks. Eric Garcia and Gerard Martin both had to be withdrawn during the contest after sustaining physical issues, leaving the manager sweating over his selection options for the upcoming European night.

"For the moment the most important thing is to recover. Recovery is very important and seeing how we manage the minutes on Tuesday. We'll see, we'll look for 11 players. We don't know what will happen with Eric, Kounde has small problems, Gerard too, we'll have to see. We have two more days and we'll see what happens on Tuesday. We have to wait for the medical results," Flick explained. He specifically mentioned that Garcia believed his injury was only a minor blow, but caution remains the watchword.

Reflecting on the overall performance in Seville, Flick expressed his delight with the intensity his squad displayed against a difficult opponent. Betis provided a stern test with their pace and transition play, but Barcelona’s ability to control the game and exploit dead-ball situations proved to be the difference.

"It is important to have that strength at set pieces. I'm happy to have scored the second goal before the break, it was important. We work on it and Heiko and Dela do a good job," Flick noted. He emphasised that the high level of competition in training is directly translating to matchdays, stating that every player is currently operating at their peak.

Despite Barcelona setting new benchmarks for consecutive victories and goalscoring tallies under his leadership, Flick insisted that personal or club records are secondary to the pursuit of silverware. "It's nice about the records, but we want to win titles and achieve bigger things, that's why we play football," the German stated firmly.

As the club prepares for a high-stakes week that includes a showdown with PSG and the looming specter of El Clasico, Flick’s ability to balance the physical load of his stars with the demand for results will be tested to the limit.