This Wednesday, Barcelona plays its fourth match of the group stage of the Champions League against Red Star in Belgrade (9:00 p.m. / Movistar Champions League). Hansi Flick spoke to the press and explained what he expects from his team and where the keys to the match may lie. «In this new Champions League, it is very important to win. We know it will be a tough game. We know that the Red Star “They have a good team, they have a good attack, but our goal is to win,” the German coach began explaining. Flick does not want the team to get overconfident or get carried away by the atmosphere of euphoria: «I told the team that the derby is already over. In recent months, we have had a good level. Also the derby. But I have been a player and I know what happens when you already win 3-0. But it is a new competition, the new Champions League and everyone knows the importance of winning. We want to be among the eight best and be directly in the round of 16. The team is fine, focused on this. We know what to improve. “Tomorrow we will play a very good game, different from the second half of the derby.”
He was asked about his tactic of applying the limit of offside: «Our idea is to play good football and the team is very well connected. Our line of four and the team are doing very well. “It is important to pressure the opponent’s exit, because they want to have possession.” And he added: «I don’t care about the club’s past, I care about the now. The here. What we are focused on. I don’t like to compare. We focus on how we want to play and in winning our games. Tomorrow will be a very good day to win.”
He did not want to position himself as one of the favorites to win the Champions League: «There is a lot of hard work to do. There are other good teams who want the same thing. In the end, you have to focus on working hard and we’ll see what happens. “We would like to win it, of course, and win all the games.” And he responded to the doubts that exist about who has to play in goal: «Szczesny hasn’t even been there for a monthbut when I talked to him I saw that he wanted to come. Iñaki is a great young goalkeeper and has a great personality. He will be an important player in tomorrow’s game. “It gives us stability and security.”
The German assured that he does not think long term and that he only focuses on winning the game in Belgrade: «We have not calculated how many points we need. This fluctuates a lot. You have to focus on winning and then we’ll see. I’m not sure where we stand. It is not important how we start but how we finish. “I think our goal is to be in the top eight.” He also explained how he has adapted to Barcelona: «Before we arrived, we had already analyzed the entire team. To each player. We saw that there was very good quality. And we wanted to bet on small changes. The players liked it and are working on them. When we started to implement our technique, they helped us. In the United States we did well. “The players like how we play, but there are still things to improve, and that is our job.”
Ferminwas the footballer who appeared, assured that the team is arriving at a good time. «It is true that there are many players in the midfield with quality. The internal competition is very good. We all want to improve. I try to follow the coach’s instructions. I will give everything when he needs me,” he began explaining, remembering that this past week he renewed his contract with the Barça team. And he added: «We come from a good dynamic. It will be a difficult match. There will be a good atmosphere. We will play as we know how. Let’s go for the three points. It’s true that in the second half of the derby, we relaxed a little. Then, the coach, squeezed us. I think it won’t happen again. We are doing a good job. “We will try to win.”
The youth player referred to the large number of young people in the team: «There are very young people in the locker room, from formative stages. We have a very good family, in which we all help each other, and it shows on the field. La Masia has prominence. “We are helping the team.” He was also grateful to Flick: «The coach, personally and with the team, gives us confidence and security when it comes to playing. It helps us all. You see it in the field. “We worked very well and achieved good results.” And he assured: «Tomorrow is a very important game for us and we will face it wanting to get the three points, play well and play our football. We will try to add the three points. We are all in a very good moment. Whoever plays, we do it well. “We have to continue with this dynamic, so we will surely achieve good results.”
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