Operation ‘Comeback’ is underway. Following their 0-2 defeat at Camp Nou, with goals from Alvarez and Sorloth, tomorrow Barcelona will attempt to overturn the deficit against Atletico Madrid and qualify for the Champions League semifinals. It’s a daunting task, but one that Hansi Flick fully believes in. This is partly because the German coach has “the strongest footballer in the world” on his side: Lamine Yamal. The number 10 himself joined Flick at the usual pre-match press conference, even extending a unique invitation to… Diego Simeone, the coach of the *Colchoneros*.
Atletico-Barcelona: Flick Speaks
Flick stated in the press room: “It’s not a final, but I want to win; we believe in ourselves and are 100% focused. The fans know what’s required, I believe in my team, and I believe we can do it. Why not? We need a solid defense. We must be strong in attack, but looking at recent matches, it’s clear that defense makes the difference; this will be a different game.”
The coach then praised Yamal: “He’s playing exceptionally well, I’m truly happy. I told him that right now, he’s the best in the world. We must give him the opportunity to keep progressing.” Flick also emphasized: “I’ve said on other occasions that we need to play as a team, as a unit; I’m not concerned about individual players.” Details will be crucial: “I recently mentioned that matches are decided by ‘momentum,’ and I hope it will be on our side tomorrow.”
“I’m not worried about needing to score goals. In defense…”
What Flick considers fundamental is “the attitude; what I want to see is the connection between the team and the fans. Our opponents will consider our performances in recent years, and this can have an effect on our team. Every person, every positive aspect is important. I have a feeling that everything is moving in the right direction. We have quality; in matches against Atletico, we have often been the better team.” The Blaugrana coach then reiterated: “There are situations where we play very well and are capable of scoring goals. I’m not worried about needing to score more goals, because that’s our style; I want to play football. We can defend better, but it depends on the entire team, not just the defensive line. We need to defend as a single block: without the ball, we must narrow the spaces and be more compact.”