"It's a big success for the team" - Flick on progressing in Champions League as second-placed

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has stressed after the draw against Atalanta (2-2) that finishing second in the Champions League league phase is a “great success” for both his team and the club.

“It was a fair result against a good team. In the first half, I think we did well. In the second half, we wanted to do things a little differently and it was good to see how the team did that. It's good to finish second in the first round, it's a great success for the team and for the club,” he said from the press room at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

With the second place assured,three teams with which they have met in this first phase (Benfica, Monaco or Brest), in addition to Paris Saint-Germain are presented as Barcelona's rivals in the round of 16.

Flick did not delve into the analysis of these teams, although he acknowledged that the Parisian side would be a “tough” opponent in a hypothetical round of 16 tie.

“This Champions League format is new and the most difficult thing about this competition is that you never know what will happen. We have two more weeks to train and that's very good. The new format is very interesting and I like it a lot,” he added.

In this sense, when asked if Barca is a candidate to lift the trophy, the coach of Heidelberg has warned that it is “one of the most difficult competitions to win” and said that Liverpool, which has finished the league phase as leader, is now the favourite.

“They play very well and have a great team, but in the end everything is possible. We will fight for all the titles until the end of the season,” he argued. About the match, Flick lamented the defensive mistakes his players made in Atalanta's goals.

“We can defend better as a team and it is something we have to analyse and do better,” he concluded.

 

January 30, 2025