Manager Hansi Flick on Saturday said that Barcelona are ready to move on from their Champions League semifinal defeat against Inter Milan and concentrate on their upcoming clash against La liga title rivals Real Madrid. Barcelona will be keen for a win here as a victory against Real and then another win next week will ensure that they win the La Liga title for the 28th time.
“We’re doing well. After the defeat in Milan, everyone knows it’s not easy… but we’re doing things right. We’ve talked about what we want to do in these two weeks. There are four more games to go. El Clasico is important, we have to show how well we can play. We have to show confidence. The players are doing very well… We’ve been talking about what they are thinking, what they are feeling” Flick said.
“We had to talk about it as a group. Everyone knows that in a Clasico you have to give 100%. You have to be active, intense, dominant. Real Madrid is a very good team, and we need the fans,” he added.
Flick also addressed the criticism his side often face due to the use of a high line while defending.
“When we started, I was clear about the philosophy… There have been games, especially at the beginning, where we saw doubts, but the team has adapted well. They have also been improving and are happy with the style and how we want to play. When you see the quality of the players you are happy.”
The German also praised defender Inigo Martinez while also adding that striker Robert Lewandowski, returning from a hamstring injury, and full back Alejandro Balde would not start against Real.
“He likes to play deeper, and it’s unbelievable to see how he’s adapted. He’s a leader and focuses on winning every game. He works hard in every training session. He shares his positive feelings with his teammates and he is a fighter. A great leader,” he said about Inigo Martinez.
“Gerard Martin and the rest of the players are doing very well. After this match, we have three more games left. Maybe they (Lewandowski and Balde) will get minutes in the second half, I think Balde is ready for that,” he added.
