Mansion Sports – Barcelona’s emphatic La Liga victory over city rivals Espanyol has been overshadowed by accusations of unsporting behavior.

Following the 4-1 win at Spotify Camp Nou, tensions escalated as the visiting team expressed their disappointment with the attitude of Hansi Flick’s squad.

Lozano Criticizes Barcelona’s Attitude

The Catalan Derby rarely unfolds calmly, but the aftermath of Saturday’s match focused more on the behavior of Barcelona’s players.

After a dominant performance led by Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres, Espanyol midfielder Pol Lozano did not hold back when asked about his interactions with the home side, particularly a late altercation with Joao Cancelo.

Lozano, visibly frustrated, spoke to DAZN in the mixed zone and made pointed remarks about what he perceived as a lack of sportsmanship from the league leaders.

“There is no point in talking about it, it is always the same story,” he said. “Everyone can see the level of respect they have for fellow professionals. I have nothing else to add.”

Provocation and the Heat of the Derby

Although his initial comments reflected deep frustration, Lozano later attempted to clarify his position as emotions from the match began to settle.

He acknowledged that while there were moments of friction, much of it could be attributed to the competitive nature of a high-intensity derby and the difficulty of accepting a heavy defeat.

“It was not against Cancelo,” he later explained. “Things like this happen on the football field. They tried to provoke me because they were winning, that is all. When you lose, you simply have to accept it.”

Flick Focuses on the Champions League

Despite the controversy surrounding player behavior, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was more focused on using the victory as momentum for their ambitions in European competition. Barcelona are currently preparing for the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid, aiming to overturn a 2-0 aggregate deficit.

Flick believes Barcelona are capable of producing another famous “remontada” at the Metropolitano. “We do not need a miracle, we need a perfect match,” the German coach told reporters.

Confidence from Players and Support from Fans

Optimism within the Barcelona dressing room is also shared by the players, who are relying on fan support to fuel their comeback effort.

Midfielder Fermin Lopez echoed his coach’s sentiment, emphasizing that the squad is ready to face the major challenge against Diego Simeone’s team on their home ground.

“The fans are with us, they believe in us. Hopefully we can achieve this comeback,” Fermin told DAZN.