Barcelona coach Hansi Flick : "We don't take any match lightly" | OneFootball

Hansi Flick would not allow himself to be drawn. In the full press room at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, the many comments from the journalists referencing his team's comfortable position following their 4-0 first-leg victory almost a week ago did not entice the FC Barcelona coach to make any brash remarks. Despite the good position, he is approaching the return leg with respect. "I'm happy that we've won 4-0 because I know that it will be a difficult match here in Dortmund. That's the attitude we're instilling in the team. We don't take any match lightly."

As the ex-sporting director of the German Football Association and the former head coach of FC Bayern Munich and the Germany national team, he knows all about the impressive atmosphere at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, which is sold out with 81,365 spectators set to attend.. "Especially in the quarter-finals of the Champions League against a team as strong as Dortmund – and especially in a stadium like this – it is extremely important to be focused from the start and to show the strengths that you have as a team," he said.

Flick already got a glimpse of how difficult it can be in Dortmund in the hard-fought match at the same venue in the league phase in mid-December. It was only thanks to Ferran Torres' late goal that the 3-2 victory was sealed (86). That ensured FC Barcelona remained unbeaten in clashes with BVB. There have been four wins and two draws in their six meetings to date. The coach's personal record against Borussia is even better. He has overseen seven wins in seven matches in the dugout – five with FC Bayern Munich, two with Barcelona.

Flick would like to improve upon that impressive record: "The opportunity to reach the semi-finals is something very special. That should ensure a few percentage points more from everyone," explained the coach, pointing towards his team's great consistency in recent weeks. "The performances they have put in game after game are simply fantastic. I'm proud of this team."

With the exception of defender Alejandro Balde, who is sidelined with knee ligament damage, Flick has a full complement of players at his disposal. The Catalans will be hoping to avoid a similar collapse to the one they suffered in the semi-finals of the competition in the 2018/2019 season, when they lost 4-0 away to Liverpool following a 3-0 first-leg victory and were eliminated. Like Flick, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny also warned against complacency: "We will by no means take Dortmund lightly. If you let them back into the game, they'll take their opportunity."

FC Barcelona's dress rehearsal for the game in Dortmund away to second-bottom CD Leganes ended in a 1-0 victory courtesy of an own goal. That narrow victory saw the Catalans consolidate their lead at the top of the table. With seven rounds of matches remaining this season, they boast a four-point lead over Spanish record champions Real Madrid.