Club Brugge manager hails Barcelona as ‘one of the best teams in the world’ ahead of UCL face-off | OneFootball

Barcelona will look to get back on track in the UEFA Champions League as they take on Club Brugge this midweek.

Although the Catalans are coming on the back of a mammoth 6-1 win over Olympiacos, they are still outside the top eight.

Securing a win against the Belgian club, therefore, will be key. However, their job won’t be made easier by the Belgian outfit, according to the club’s head coach Nicky Hayen.

What Club Brugge coach said ahead of Barcelona clash

The 45-year-old coach was first asked if his side, who have been in good form, are truly capable of beating Barça.

“We’ve been playing well in recent matches. They’re one of the best teams in the world. We’ll play high up the pitch, attacking and man-marking,” he said (h/t AS).

When asked about Barcelona’s injury situation, Hayen insisted it doesn’t significantly change their preparation or the difficulty of the match.

“We don’t know who will play tomorrow, but it doesn’t change much. They’re dominant on the pitch. And they have enough quality to replace the players who are out injured. We’ll have to do everything we can to stop them,” he said.

Given his “attacking” game plan, Hayen was asked if he intended to exploit the famously high defensive line that Hansi Flick employs.

“I can’t speak publicly about the tactics. That system has worked for Barça since their coach arrived, and naturally, we’ll try to counter it,” he said.

He also had a small warning for Barcelona, suggesting they shouldn’t underestimate his team. “I think Barça shouldn’t be overconfident. We’ve played well in the last few matches. We’ll play an attacking game.”

Ready for the Barcelona test. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

A significant portion of the press conference was dedicated to Barça’s biggest threat, Lamine Yamal. Hayen admitted that his team has a specific plan for the 18-year-old.

“Yes, we have. We always prepare well. Lamine is strong, and it’s good to know what we have to do to stop him. We want to show what we’re made of,” he said.

He elaborated on the superstar’s quality, but stressed that his team cannot become obsessed with just one player.

“He has spectacular quality. But Barça isn’t just Lamine, there are others too. And we have to focus on all of them and try to stop them all. We have to be aggressive. Our game plan is to stop them and create chances. We’ll do everything we can to win.”

“It’s a very special match. We know that. We admire Barça, and we know that to win this game we have to be focused and play at 100%,” he added.

Finally, Hayen was asked to compare this match to their previous group stage game against Bayern Munich, which served as a harsh lesson for his squad.

“When we played in Munich, we weren’t at our best in the league. It was a real wake-up call. We’ll make some changes, but we have to be ourselves.

“We’re motivated. We have to play with a cool head, but we have the support of a packed stadium. They’re going to be behind us. I think it’s going to be a great match,” he concluded.