Hansi Flick talks Gerard Martin, Lewandowski, Balde, Szczesny ahead of Barcelona vs Real Madrid | OneFootball

The last few days have not really been easy for FC Barcelona as they had to contend with the painful defeat at the hands of Inter Milan which resulted in their elimination from the UEFA Champions League at the semi-final stage.

However, the Catalans do not have a lot of time to rue this defeat, as they still have to compete for the La Liga title. In fact, they have a crucial match against their main rivals for this title, Real Madrid, scheduled right after this game against Inter Milan.

Ahead of this El Clasico, which is set to take place tomorrow, on Sunday, Hansi Flick has addressed a press conference. In this presser, the German tactician talked about different aspects of his team.

Mundo Deportivo has covered this presser, and its main highlights are reproduced below:

The press conference started with a question about the team’s condition, and the coach was rather optimistic about this aspect:

“We’re doing well after the defeat in Milan. Everyone knows it’s not easy, but we’re doing things right and we’ve talked about what we want to do. There are four games ahead and a Clásico is very important. It’s about having confidence in what we want to show.”

The Blaugrana trainer also revealed the role of Lewandowski and Balde in this upcoming game:

“I don’t think he’ll count on them from the start. I think Gerard and the rest of the players are doing very well, and after the injury, it’s slightly different. After this match we have three more to go. Maybe he’ll get some minutes in the second half.”

Hansi Flick identified some aspect that might help his team win this game:

“We’ve been talking about the players’ feelings. It’s also important to talk openly about these things. In a match like El Clásico, you have to give 100 percent, your best level. We want to be active, dominant. Madrid is a fantastic team, but we’re playing at home and our fans support us, and it’s fantastic to have them.”

When asked whether Szczesny would start in goal, the German coach was rather clear:

“Yes, it will be against Madrid.”

The Barcelona manager also highlighted that La Liga is the more important competition for him:

“La Liga is the most honest title. You have to play 38 matches and if you reach the end and you’re first, it’s the most honest title.”

However, he was giving no guarantees for this game against Real Madrid:

“If you ask the players, a Clásico is always one they want to win. The standings don’t matter. We’re only focused on this match to give everything.”

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti greets Barcelona coach Hansi Flick. [Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images]

Hansi Flick recognised that there will still be some matches left to play after El Clasico:

“We have four matches. And as I said before, we’re going to focus on each one and try to win them all. And the Clásico is the first, the most important for the Barça fans, for the players, and for me and my staff. It’s fantastic. This has nothing to do with a lack of energy because they have it. They’re doing a fantastic job and we want to keep going in the same direction.”

The German tactician also clarified that league standings will not be too much on his or his players’ minds:

“When you play this type of match, Real Madrid tries to do everything they can. I’m not too worried about the standings. What we have to do is win. And that’s our attitude. We’re only focused on this match. Nothing else.”

The Barcelona coach has had to play without his starting fullbacks for some time now but expressed his satisfaction with how the substitutes have been performing:

“We can see that both players are very professional and have improved a lot since the start of the season. But it doesn’t surprise me. When you see Gerard playing the Champions League semifinals, he had a fantastic match.

We miss Balde, because he was at a great level. And Eric, what can I say. I love his mentality and attitude, he’s a great professional. When I tell him, how about playing as a 2, a 5, or a 6 — he has no problem at all. And he can also score goals, as we’ve seen.”

Hansi Flick once again highlighted how unpredictable this match will be:

“You never know how the match will go. We’re talking about two great teams facing each other. Maybe it will be a little different from the match in Madrid. Each team wants to fight for the three points, and I hope we take them.”

The Blaugrana coach also briefly discussed the tactics the two teams might employ tomorrow:

“We could see both sides. We have to be ready. They also put pressure on the man, and they do it very well. They have a formidable offensive system. It’s a possibility for tomorrow.”

The German tactician also defender his defensive system at Barcelona:

“When we started, I was clear about the philosophy. At first, we had some doubts, of course, but in the end, it’s about the whole team, not just the defense line. It’s important to press where the ball is. You have to know who starts with this dynamic and who follows to recover the ball.

There were games, especially in the beginning, where we saw doubts, but the team has adapted very well. They have also improved and are happy with the style and how we want to play. When you see the quality of the players, one is happy. We are satisfied with the intensity in training, they work very hard, and today we see the results.”

Further talking on this aspect, Hansi Flick also praised Inigo Martinez:

“Iñigo has a different style. He’s a player who likes to go deeper, and he has improved and adapted. It’s incredible to see how he has adapted. He’s a leader and always focuses on winning every match. The way he focuses on each training session, how he always thinks positively and shares that with his teammates. And he’s a fighter.

I’m happy with him, and I can say that. Perhaps this is one of his best seasons, and it’s not easy. It’s not easy to make these changes at 33 years old.”

Lastly, when asked about Szczesny’s renewal, Flick avoided addressing this subject but still shared his hopes:

“It’s Deco’s job, I don’t deal with contracts. I’m happy with him, though. He’s always very positive, calm, keeps his composure, and that works very well for us. I think he would like to stay. He’s more relaxed, sometimes smokes a bit, but that’s just how he is. He’s the age he is and is very laid-back.”

As Hansi Flick commented multiple times in this presser, this game is going to be a very unpredictable one. Real Madrid will be fresher as they did not have a mid-week engagement, but Barcelona will be keen to put the UCL elimination behind them by getting a win over their fiercest rivals.