Flick praises Barcelona’s defensive response as Rodri injury remains unclear

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick praised his side’s defensive performance after they ended their unwanted Champions League run with a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa on Tuesday.

The result came at Camp Nou in the fourth round of the league phase, with Barcelona securing a comfortable win against the English side and recording their first clean sheet in the competition since April 2025.

Speaking to Movistar in comments reported by Spanish newspaper AS, Flick said the result was important but acknowledged the quality of the opposition.

“Yes, the win was important. We faced a great team that defended well. We are happy with our defensive performance because everyone gave everything to finish the match with a clean sheet,” he said.

Flick also highlighted the collective effort required to keep Aston Villa scoreless.

“We have to continue working. Everyone produced an amazing performance, we were very compact and defended very well. It was great,” the German added.

The clean sheet brought an end to a difficult defensive sequence for Barcelona in Europe. Before Tuesday’s match, they had conceded in 18 consecutive Champions League games, a negative club record that began after their 4-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in April 2025.

Rodri fitness concern

Flick was also asked about Rodri, who experienced muscular discomfort during the match and had to be substituted.

“He felt some muscular discomfort, and we have to wait until tomorrow to know more,” Flick said.

The brief update leaves uncertainty over whether the Spain midfielder will be available for Barcelona’s next La Liga fixture against Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

Barcelona have four days to recover and prepare for that match, which is scheduled for 08 November 2026. Flick said the break would give his players time to regain their fitness before facing Atletico Madrid.

“We have four days to recover and get ready for the match,” he said.

The victory over Aston Villa therefore provided Barcelona with both three points and a long-awaited clean sheet, while the club now awaits further information on Rodri’s condition before the weekend meeting with Atletico Madrid.