Coach Hansi Flick was sent off for protesting a penalty decision and Barcelona was held at Real Betis to 2-2 in La Liga on Saturday.
Flick showed his frustration over a decision to send Betis to the spot, but he also said after the match that his youthful team, which included two 17-year-old starters, must improve.
IShowSpeed claims he discovered Lamine Yamal when he was 15
“We are a young team and we need to improve a lot,” Flick said. “We must be stronger, especially when we play away. We have quality, but we have to show it in every game.”
Flick disagreed with the referee’s decision to grant a penalty following a video review when Betis forward Vitor Roque fell in the area following a brush with Frenkie de Jong.
Giovani Lo Celso converted the 66th-minute penalty to level the score after Robert Lewandowski put the visitors ahead in the 38th.
Substitute Ferran Torres scored from a pass by Lamine Yamal to put Barcelona back in front in the 82nd, but Assane Diao struck in injury time to secure the draw for Betis.
Flick said he was surprised by the referee’s decision to expel him, but refused to criticize his sending off or the penalty decision that came after the ref viewed video replays.
“I said nothing really to anyone, it was a reaction for myself,” the former Bayern Munich boss said about his alleged protest. “I am really disappointed about (the sending off) because that has never happened to me, but maybe here (in Spain) it is like this.”
Barcelona has dropped points in four of the last five rounds. The league leader is five points ahead of Real Madrid, which has two games in hand.
