Goals from Marc Bernal, Frenkie de Jong and Fermin Lopez sealed a dominant performance that lifted Barcelona back to the top of La Liga.

Speaking after the match, Flick made it clear he had demanded a response from his squad.

"Today we gave a very good response and that's what I needed," he said. "We've been talking a lot and I've seen it reflected on the pitch. It was very important to score quickly. It gave us confidence from the beginning. We improved as the minutes went by and we deserved to win."

Cancelo Impresses Flick

Flick reserved special praise for Joao Cancelo, who produced an outstanding display and was heavily involved in Barcelona's attacking play.

"We'll see if he's still in the starting eleven," Flick said. "Joao showed his strengths today. He generates chances and I think it was a very good game from him. He's a fantastic footballer and he can help us a lot. We saw all his quality, especially in the first half."

Cancelo's energy and creativity down the flank were central to Barcelona's control of the game, underlining his growing importance in Flick's system.

Yamal's Frustration Dismissed

There was also a late moment of tension when Lamine Yamal appeared frustrated after being substituted. Flick, however, played down the incident.

"I think it's normal," he said. "The most important thing is that we have players who deserve to play, like Roony. He is very professional and when he came on he played well. I focus on that."

Back on Top

Barcelona's return to the summit was another positive for Flick, especially after briefly surrendering first place.

"It's important to get back to the top, but there's still a long way to go," he said. "Not everything was perfect. But we won 3-0, it's three points, and that's the most important thing."

For Flick, the performance mattered just as much as the result - and on this evidence, Barcelona are rediscovering both form and belief at a crucial stage of the season.

Hansi Flick faces challenges as Frenkie de Jong returns for Barcelona clash