Hansi Flick facing three significant challenges ahead of the La Liga encounter between Barcelona and Real Madrid | OneFootball

After having seen his team eliminated from the UEFA Champions League at the semi-final stage at the hands of Inter Milan, Hansi Flick now has one more trophy left to compete for with FC Barcelona in this 2024-25 season.

This competition is La Liga, in which the Blaugranes are set to play a crucial match this Sunday, when they face Real Madrid. These two teams are now the only viable contenders for the league title, and the Catalans currently enjoy a 4-point advantage over their second-placed rivals.

Having played 120 minutes in the UCL game against Inter Milan and still having faced an agonizing defeat, Barcelona are not coming into this El Clásico at the most favorable time.

Hansi Flick facing three challenges

Still, a win in this match can help the team and the fans get over their most recent disappointment. However, to get this win, Mundo Deportivo notes that Flick will have to address several challenges.

One such challenge would be the emotional management of the team, as despite coming with a four-point advantage over Real Madrid, this Barcelona team will still have the blow suffered at Giuseppe Meazza fresh in their minds.

Some activities have already taken place to help the team get over the difficult loss, but the German trainer will still have to ensure his team does not overreact, as a match of such high stakes requires a cool head.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick with defender Ronald Araujo. [Photo Credit: The Official Website of FC Barcelona]

Starting lineup and neutralizing Mbappe

Another challenge would be to plan for his lineup in this upcoming game, as some of the regular starters have been playing a lot of minutes and are suffering from muscle fatigue. Thus, Flick and his staff will have to decide whether to take risks with these starters or rely on fresher legs. In this regard, Gavi and Fermin Lopez would be good options for the Blaugrana coach.

Another big decision he will have to make in this regard will be whether to start Alejandro Balde, who is expected to return to full fitness for this game. The Spaniard has not played any minutes prior to this game, so sending him into such an intense encounter can be risky.

Lastly, the biggest tactical challenge for Hansi Flick would be to come up with a way to neutralise Kylian Mbappe, who is in excellent form. Furthermore, the Germans will also have to ensure a balance between physicality, pace, and control, and avoid the second half of the last El Clasico, when the Merengues were able to score two goals.