Hansi Flick was in the stands at Montjuïc watching the friendly match between Catalonia and Palestine. The manager paid particular attention to Marc Bernal's performance.
The midfielder hasn't been getting many opportunities at Barça after returning from a year-long injury layoff, and the German coach included him in the squad so he could gradually accumulate playing time.
As planned, Catalan coach Gerard López started Marc Bernal in the first half. The Barcelona youth product performed well, both offensively and defensively. Catalonia didn't have much possession, and control of the midfield was inconsistent and lacked continuity. Bernal showed he was in good form.
The Barcelona club has established a training plan with the player. Since returning to action, Marc Bernal has had intermittent appearances. He started with 9 minutes against Valencia, but then his playing time was spread out. He played a few minutes against Oviedo, a bit more against PSG and Olympiacos, and one more against Celta Vigo.
At the end of the match, in statements to TV3, Bernal praised the friendly's "global impact" and acknowledged that "these minutes have been very good for me, especially for my recovery." The expected lack of cohesion was noticeable, but "I felt very good, very comfortable." When it was mentioned that Flick was in the stands and had taken good note, the midfielder, Marc Bernal, smiled and replied: "Exactly, yes, yes."