This Friday, Hansi Flick spoke to the media ahead of FC Barcelona's La Liga cash with Alavés (kick-off Saturday at 9pm CET).

The German coach began his press conference with a message of condolence and support for the victims and those affected by the tragic train accident in Toledo: "We want to send our deepest condolences to everyone affected by this tragic train accident in Toledo. Our thoughts are with the families going through such a difficult time. We send them all our positive energy and love."

Bounceback time

Turning to the match, Flick made it clear that, after two consecutive defeats, "the most important thing tomorrow is to win ... The team is playing well and we believe in our strengths. I've seen a good training session and a positive mood. We have to show that tomorrow. Alavés are a team that know how to defend well, but we're Barça and we want to show our best version."

Reflecting on the last two defeats, Flick urged calm and pointed out that "it's a long road. It's at the end of the season that we can win trophies. We lost and nobody likes that. We have to deal with it. We could have won, but we have to accept defeat and learn from it."

Defensive troubles

Regarding defensive performances, Flick reiterated that "defending isn't just the defenders' job, everyone is involved. First of all, we can't give the ball away cheaply like we did against Madrid. That's not good and doesn't reflect our usual quality. I already said that perhaps we weren't fresh enough. We have to play with more concentration and, when we're defending inside the box, it's important to mark our opponents."

He also acknowledged that having four defenders sidelined through injury makes it difficult to find alternatives in those positions: "Brian Fariñas could be an option at full-back. He's very intelligent, he's been training with us since the start of the season and he's doing a fantastic job. The time has come for him to play. He deserves it."

Ballon d'Or

As for Monday's Ballon d'Or gala, the German accepted that "Harry Kane deserved it, but you already know what I think about Lamine. He's at the level required to win this award. I'm very proud of Lamine. He reacted very well and was very focused in training. That's the way to respond. His mentality is very good for the team."