Barcelona manager Hansi Flick believes his side can mount a comeback against Atlético de Madrid in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final. The Catalan side lost the first leg 4-0. Flick stated that it will take more than just Lamine Yamal’s brilliance to overturn the deficit.
Flick Calls for Team Unity
Flick acknowledged the difficulty of the task ahead, with Barcelona needing to overturn a 4-0 defeat suffered at the Metropolitano. He stressed the importance of unity within the team to achieve the improbable. “We have to play united, as a team. This is the key,” Flick stated.
He highlighted the importance of the team being switched on. He referenced Lamine Yamal’s opening goal against Villarreal, which he said came after a great recovery and pass from Fermín. “Lamine has the gift of being in the right moment. Afterwards he finished perfectly, but we need them all,” he said.
Belief in the Comeback
Flick emphasised the importance of believing in the possibility of a comeback. “We want to make the impossible possible and we believe that we can do it,” he declared. He also highlighted the role of the fans at Spotify Camp Nou in inspiring the team.
“You must always believe, for sure the fans will support us. For me it is important that everyone can support us during the match. There must be a perfect connection between the fans and the team. I love this connection,” Flick added.
Barcelona are planning to create a special atmosphere at the Camp Nou. The club will allocate space for around 700 members of various fan groups to create a cauldron of noise.
Drawing Inspiration from the Past
Acknowledging that he has never faced a situation like this in his career, Flick drew on an example from the past. He referenced the Champions League quarter-final tie against Borussia Dortmund from last season. “We have a good example, against Dortmund. In each half we scored two goals. We know that it is difficult because the rival is fantastic and they did a lot of damage to us in the last match, but I believe that we can do it”.
Flick outlined the team’s preparations for the match. “We have thought about everything that could happen and could give us an advantage. We need to have the hunger so that it can happen,” he said. He praised the team’s performance against Villarreal, noting their intensity, dynamism and fighting spirit: “Against Villarreal we saw a different team, everyone playing with intensity, fighting, with a lot of dynamism. This is what I want to see tomorrow”.