Hansi Flick has urged Barcelona to keep their full attention on this weekend’s clash against Espanyol and avoid being distracted by thoughts of a Champions League comeback in their upcoming second leg.
The Spanish champions face their local rivals in a La Liga clash on Saturday, before facing Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League encounter on Tuesday.
While Barcelona are hoping to win a first European title since 2015, Flick has urged the team to approach each game as they come and avoid distractions in the league.
“The dream for every player, the club, the fans, the coaches is to win the Champions League,” Flick said.
“In every (European) game you see the team is five percent more motivated (above) 100 percent. This is the competition, this is why we are here.
“We have to make our daily job, this is La Liga, but in the end the most important thing is to win the Champions League. This is the goal from my side, the players and the club”, the German added.
Barcelona have a chance to extend their gap at the top of the standings to nine points with a victory on Saturday, after Real Madrid dropped points against Girona on Friday night.
The Madrid giants poor run of form continued with the result, giving Barcelona a chance to edge closer to a successful title defence.
“We have a lot of players from La Masia (the club’s youth academy), they know exactly what it means to play against Espanyol,” Flick continued.
“It’s a derby, we are playing at home and I want to win it.
“This is their job, what they have to do. They are very focussed and ready for tomorrow”, Flick concluded.
A win against Espanyol would give Barcelona a nine-point advantage in the league with only seven games left to play.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
