At a glance
- FC Barcelona beat Espanyol 4-1 on Saturday, to go nine points clear at the top of the table.
- Only one team has come back from two goals down in the Champions League knockout phase – Marcus Rashford’s Manchester United in 2019.
- But Flick played down the enormity of the mission, with spirits high in the Blaugrana camp.
FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick insisted that his team don’t need a “miracle” to advance to the Champions League semifinals.
The Blaugrana boss made his comments after a 4-1 win over Espanyol which sent Barca nine points clear in La Liga.
The win is the perfect boost for Tuesday, when they must pull off a third comeback in a year against Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano.
And though only one team has come back from 2-0 behind in the continental competition’s knockout phase as the Catalans must, Flick doesn’t want to make a drama out of it.
“We don’t need a miracle. [We] just [need to] play our best football, and we can do that,” he said at his post-match press conference.
“There are many possible things. After 3-1 we scored to make it 4-1. I know Atletico are a fantastic team, but so are we. We will fight and I’m sure the fans will support us there and be ready,” he added.
Barcelona chief Flick doesn’t believe La Liga is over until its over
Another thing Flick won’t be drawn into is prematurely celebrating his second league title in two years. With Barca nine points in clear, they can wrap up the Spanish top flight crown by beating Real Madrid in El Clasico as things stand. But the German pragmatist doesn’t want to hear it.
“It’s not done. We have to do our homework. We can’t say it’s already done. This attitude is wrong and I don’t accept it. Until it’s tied up and well tied, we’ll have to play our best football. The important thing is the mentality of this team and we will continue to do have it. I want us to prove it on Tuesday,” he insisted.
Now it’s all aboard the Spanish capital. And deep down, Flick knows that while domestic domination is welcomed, it’s what he does in Europe that could be the defining element of his legacy at the Spotify Camp Nou.
