Following their shock defeat to CD Leganes final weekend, FC Barcelona will likely be gunning to return to profitable methods after they tackle Atletico Madrid at Montjuic tomorrow in La Liga.
The Blaugrana have dropped useful factors within the league in current weeks and now discover themselves degree on factors with Atletico, who’re at the moment second within the desk however have a recreation in hand.
As such, Hansi Flick & co. are conscious that there’s merely no margin for error for them after they tackle Diego Simeone’s males tomorrow at house.
On the eve of the sport, the German tactician spoke to the media and mentioned the significance of tomorrow’s contest in addition to the absence of key man Lamine Yamal, amongst different issues.
On Atletico Madrid and Barcelona’s present kind
Kicking issues off, the Barcelona supervisor had phrases of reward for Atletico Madrid, as he referred to as them the ‘greatest group within the league’ at the moment, saying:
“It’s a really troublesome recreation for us. For the time being they’re the perfect group up to now. Will probably be an important recreation.”
Discussing Barça’s present predicament, whereby they’ve collected solely 5 factors from their final six La Liga matches, Flick remarked:
“We began the venture, and on 20 December we’re first in La Liga and second within the Champions League. We’ve misplaced a number of factors and it was a disgrace, as a result of we should always have received towards Las Palmas and Leganes.
“Respect for them as a result of they performed higher and now we have to just accept that. Tomorrow now we have the prospect to show ourselves once more.
“We’re a younger group and now we have to enhance, we are going to combat till the tip of the season. We’ve completed issues properly, however it’s not simple. Tomorrow now we have one other probability to do properly towards an important group.”
One of many issues for Barça in current video games has been their lack of focus early on, resulting in targets being conceded.
“‘We’ve to be prepared from the second, Atletico rating quite a lot of targets on the finish of the sport. So now we have to be targeted from the start to the tip,” stated Flick in regards to the scenario.
On group information
No Lamine Yamal tomorrow. (Picture by Alex Caparros/Getty Photographs)
Reacting to the harm that star ahead Lamine Yamal sustained, that has sidelined him for 3 to 4 weeks, Flick acknowledged:
“We’ve to just accept this harm and that he’s not accessible. We’ve a number of choices to interchange him however we haven’t determined but.”
On whether or not Andreas Christensen, who has skilled with the group this week, will likely be able to return tomorrow, the supervisor replied: “Christensen received’t be on the checklist tomorrow.”
Curiously, although, the Barça boss didn’t touch upon the scenario of Hector Fort, who didn’t practice with the group right now attributable to muscle points.
Explaining his choice to provide his gamers a two-day relaxation after the defeat to Leganes, the Barcelona coach stated:
“Generally you make these choices, once we look again we had no relaxation. We would have liked to clear our heads and we predict it was choice. We’ve been coaching very properly since then, so I feel it was choice.”
The supervisor additionally touched upon the group Christmas dinner, highlighting the unity within the camp, saying:
“I felt that we’re a household and that we’re very united. The employees are very pleased with each one of many gamers and that is what identifies us.”
On being requested about what membership president Joan Laporta advised him on the dinner, Flick replied: “You may’t know, it’s non-public. I can’t inform you what he says to me. I’ll preserve it a secret (laughs).
Speaking in regards to the group dynamics heading into tomorrow’s recreation which marks the midpoint of the season, the supervisor defined:
“We’ve misplaced nice gamers and we solely signed Olmo and Pau Victor. The group is rising rather a lot and ultimately we’re not pleased with the scenario of the membership however we are going to combat till the tip.
“It’s not simple, however we need to win all of the titles and this begins with profitable tomorrow.”
Concluding, Flick commented on the matter of Robert Lewandowski’s substitutions from matches in current video games, which has develop into a subject of debate, stating:
“In these conditions, you need to decide. Ferran did very properly within the earlier matchdays and after the video games, the whole lot is clearer and higher.”
Supply: Mundo Deportivo