Andreas Christensen returned to Barcelona’s starting XI for Tuesday’s Copa del Rey win over Guadalajara, a very welcome return for the Dane.
Before the game, the defender had only started three times for Barcelona this season, and injuries once again affected his playing time.
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Christensen may be expected to get more game time these days, especially with Ronald Araujo temporarily unavailable, but Flick would prefer to use Gerard Martin at centre-back alongside Paulo Cubasi.
Yet Christensen did show his value on Tuesday night, albeit against a lower-level opponent. Not only did he help Barca keep their first away clean sheet since August, he also scored the crucial first goal that broke the deadlock.
“It’s nice to score, but the most important thing for me is to play one more game. A lot of time has passed and I always enjoy playing with these players,” he said after the game.
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“The key today was patience. Sometimes it’s difficult to maintain quality and we have to be patient and stay motivated. We have to take every situation seriously. That’s the most important thing for us and I’m happy with the result.
“We tried to control the game but it was very difficult at times. Cold night, pitch…I’m happy with the win and the mentality we showed today.”
Flick also seemed pleased with Christensen, praising his “outstanding” performance as the Copa del Rey holders sealed their place in the next round.
Will we see more of Christensen now? It’s hard to say considering Martin is the clear favorite for Flick, but Christensen’s perfect performance on Tuesday night certainly didn’t hurt his chances of getting more game time.