Hansi Flick could hardly contain his delight after Barcelona's 5-2 demolition of Real Betis at La Cartuja, praising his players' performance and fighting spirit ahead of a decisive week that brings Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and then the Clasico against Real Madrid.
Barcelona deserved the win, the German insisted, despite the difficulty of the match and the strength of the opponent. Going forward, he reckoned, the team produced an outstanding level.
"I think we produced a very good performance in attack, and with great enthusiasm," Flick said. "It wasn't an easy match, but we played at an extremely high level. Real Betis are a very good side, and I think we deserved the win."
Set pieces
That goal just before the break mattered, and Flick explained why. Work on set pieces forms an important element of the team's preparations.
He said: "It's important to work on set pieces. The second goal was extremely important before the end of the first half, and the set-piece specialists are doing a good job."
Competition inside Barcelona
Players short of regular minutes also got a mention from the Barcelona coach, who stressed that competition within the squad is natural and that everyone will get their chance to prove themselves.
He added: "Every day is the same. There are players who are not happy about not playing, and that is natural. At this club, and inside this team, everyone will get opportunities to play and show their abilities."
What pleases Flick most is watching that level in daily preparations. The atmosphere inside the squad is positive, he emphasised, and the standard of training high thanks to the quality of all his players.
Yamal the best in the world
Lamine Yamal drew particular praise from the German, who described the teenager's first goal as amazing and insisted he keeps shining despite the huge pressure surrounding him.
Flick said: "It was a very exciting match, and great for the fans and for the world of football. Lamine's first goal was amazing. He is the best player in the world right now, and I am very happy with his performance."
He added: "He is under a lot of pressure, he is only 19 years old, but he is fully committed, and that is wonderful."
Concern over injuries
Recovery comes first before PSG in the Champions League, Flick explained, with decisions on how to distribute minutes to follow.
He said: "The most important thing is recovery, and we will see how we manage playing time, and what happens with Eric Garcia, Jules Kounde and Gerard. We have two more days, and we will see what happens on Tuesday."
Beating Betis was important ahead of the European tie, Flick stressed, adding: "I am very proud of the team, because it was not an easy match."
Eric Garcia left the pitch after feeling pain, and the German offered an early verdict: "We will see, but it seems to be just a slight knock. He felt something, and that is why we substituted him."
Flick comments on Betis's disallowed goal and the sending-off
Giovani Lo Celso had a goal disallowed and was then sent off. Flick, however, said he had not seen the passage of play that led to the 2-2 equaliser, so he could not comment on the details.
Taking Yamal off was necessary, he also pointed out, and he told the winger he was proud of what he had produced and that he had played a wonderful match.
9 consecutive wins
Nine straight La Liga wins makes for a nice memory, Flick conceded, but the team's main objective remains titles and major achievements.
He said: "It's a nice thing, and a nice memory, but what we want is to win titles and achieve great things."