Flick talks Pedri, Ter Stegen, De Jong, Raphinha, Bardghji ahead of Slavia Prague vs Barcelona | OneFootball

FC Barcelona will be aiming to produce a strong reaction and return to winning ways after their weekend loss to Real Sociedad, when they take on Slavia Prague in the UEFA Champions League.

Currently in 15th place in the table. Barcelona find themselves in a tricky position in the European competition. They need to win both their remaining games by a big margin and hope other results go their way in order to secure a top-eight finish.

Leading up to the crucial clash in Czechia, where Barça will encounter a big challenge in terms of the weather conditions and stadium atmosphere, manager Hansi Flick spoke to the media, discussing all those aspects, among other things.

“This is the Champions League and there’s always pressure. Slavia are a team that defends very well, and the pressure is very high,” said Flick, talking about the opponents for tomorrow.

“We’ve had time to prepare for a Champions League match, because the last one was in December, and we want to win the two remaining matches. We want all six points,” he added.

On the kind of challenge that Slavia Prague pose, the Barcelona head coach commented:

“They’re a team that always wants to attack. They’re a team that creates danger on the counter-attack. The Champions League always demands a high level of performance. It’s a difficult match, but we’re confident we can pull it off.”

The defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League back in November acted as a turning point for the Blaugrana as they went on an 11-game winning run until the defeat to Real Sociedad this past weekend.

Ready for Slavia Prague. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Discussing the team’s improvement since that loss at Stamford Bridge, Flick stated: “I think we still have a lot of potential. We try to improve in every match. We are a very young team, and everyone still has the potential to reach a higher level.”

Talking about the cold weather in Prague and how it has impacted their preparations for the game, the Barcelona head coach explained:

“The good thing is that we’ll have to run to warm up. Before the Chelsea game, we trained at home, but we decided to travel a little earlier to try to adapt to the cold and train here this afternoon.”

Flick also confirmed Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s imminent loan move to Girona, saying:

“Is it confirmed yet? Did Balde confirm it? (laughs). This morning, Marc told us he’s going to Girona. He’s a great goalkeeper, and we wish him all the best.

“He’s a magnificent goalkeeper and he needed to play to be able to go to the World Cup this summer.”

Barcelona go into tomorrow’s match without key winger Lamine Yamal, who is out due to suspension, while Ferran Torres misses out with injury.

Given the situation, Roony Bardghji appears set to start against Slavia Prague. And, Flick had words of praise for the summer arrival, as he said:

“He’s played very well in the matches he’s played. When he’s been on the pitch, he’s performed very well. His position isn’t easy because it’s the position Lamine plays. We’ll see if he plays tomorrow.”

Back in the squad. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

Providing an update on Raphinha, who is back in the squad after missing the Real Sociedad loss, he added: “I hope Raphinha can play tomorrow.”

Flick also confirmed that Pedri was feeling good physically after picking up a knock in the Sociedad clash.

“I asked him after the game and he said he was fine after the hard tackle from Carlos Soler,” the Barcelona boss said.

“He and Frenkie are playing at a top level,” he added, praising the partnership of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong.

Regarding the defeat to Sociedad on Sunday and whether Barcelona have what it takes to bounce back immediately, he stated:

“In the end, it was just one game, and we played at a good level, which is what I wanted to see. We have confidence in what we do, and we played a good game.”

Finally, Flick sent out a strong message about Barcelona’s ambitions in the Champions League this season:

“It’s a dream for everyone. It’s the goal when you play for Barça. Winning these kinds of titles is the objective. We’re ready for it.”

Source: Mundo Deportivo