Barcelona coach Hansi Flick offered encouraging news regarding Jules Koundé’s injury following his side’s 2-0 victory at Villarreal in La Liga on Sunday, a result that sees the Catalan giants finish 2025 comfortably at the top of the table before the winter break.
The match, played at Estadio de la Cerámica, saw Barcelona secure all three points on the road thanks to goals from Lamine Yamal and another key attacker, continuing their strong form under Flick. The win not only extended Barcelona’s lead at the summit but also provided a positive end to the year before the squad heads into the holiday break.
Barcelona controlled large spells of the game against a resilient Villarreal side. Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski were introduced as impactful substitutes, with the latter involved in the build-up to the second goal. It was Yamal who ultimately fired home for 2-0, giving Barca some breathing room in the second half.
However, the victory was tempered by a scare late on when French defender Jules Koundé was forced off due to a knock, leaving fans and pundits alike anxious about the extent of the injury. Koundé, who has been a regular starter for Barcelona this season and one of Flick’s key defensive pieces, appeared to suffer discomfort in his left hamstring and was substituted with around 10 minutes remaining.
After the match, Flick addressed the injury situation in his post-game comments. The Barcelona boss played down early fears, insisting that from what the coaching staff and medical team could tell immediately after the match, the problem did not appear to be serious. Flick said that when Koundé came off, it seemed to be “just a muscle cramp,” expressing cautious optimism that the defender would not miss a prolonged period of action.
This update will come as a relief to Barcelona supporters, particularly with the busy fixture schedule restarting in early January. The club is set to return to training on December 29 ahead of league and Spanish Super Cup commitments, and having Koundé available — or at least not sidelined long term — would be a significant boost.
Flick’s squad has been dealing with injury concerns across the season, and maintaining fitness through key fixtures has been a priority for the German coach. Barcelona will hope that the brief winter break allows players like Koundé—not to mention those already out—to recover fully and rejuvenate ahead of a demanding second half of the campaign.
While official medical tests are awaited to determine the exact severity and recovery timeline, Hansi Flick’s tone remained positive, suggesting that Koundé’s issue might be minor and manageable rather than a long-term absence.
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