Hansi Flick talks Lewandowski, Raphinha, Szczęsny, Di María, Bruno Lage, Carles Minarro ahead of Barcelona vs Benfica | OneFootball

After not having been able to play their La Liga game on Saturday due to the death of Dr. Carles Minarro, one of the doctors of the FC Barcelona first team, the Blaugranes will now return to action in the UEFA Champions League as they face SL Benfica in the second leg of the Round of 16 tie on Tuesday.

The Catalans enjoy a one-goal advantage from the first leg, but undoubtedly this tie is not yet over, and they will have to finish the job to advance to the next round of the competition.

There is no doubt that some Barcelona players will still be feeling the effects of the trauma of losing such an important member of their dressing room.

However, Hansi Flick ensured that his team is fully focused on the match ahead as he addressed a press conference before this game, in which he also talked about some other aspects of his team and the upcoming match.

The main highlights, reported by Mundo Deportivo, from this press conference are as follows:

The German trainer ensured the press that the team is dealing well with the situation:

“I believe the team is managing the situation well. We’re very focused on the match. As I said after Lisbon, that was just the first game.”

The Barcelona coach also opened up on how he and the club managed such a difficult situation on Saturday:

“The President also spoke in the dressing room; he did so on Sunday, and I spoke with the team yesterday. It’s a great loss — he was a wonderful person and a fantastic doctor. He was incredible for the team and the club, a fundamental part of our squad. We will miss him, but sometimes life is like this.”

“We want to play for him, and in this situation, it’s very important that we win for him. We’re prepared for it. We must keep going — that’s our job. This is an important moment for the club, and we want to do well.”

Flick also revealed why Lewandowski was absent from the squad for the game against Osasuna:

“He’s in great shape. On Saturday, we decided to let him rest. In the training session before the match ( Osasuna ), he felt some discomfort from fatigue, so we opted to let him recover.”

The Blaugrana trainer was confident that both teams will play according to their preferred styles:

“I think they’re clear about how they want to play, and we know how we want to approach it as well. I don’t think there will be surprises.”

Despite the advantage that his team enjoys on paper and on aggregate, Flick was clear that they have not yet advanced to the next round yet:

“I see the team very focused; we also talked about it this morning. In today’s meeting, we reviewed the good and bad aspects of the first leg. No one on our side thinks the job is done because we still have the second leg to play. We want to make sure the attitude is right.”

The German tactician believed Raphinha can have a shot at the Ballon d’Or this year:

“Of course, if he performs well this season, he could have a chance. He always helps us a lot, and if you look at the goals he’s scored, it shows the hunger he has. You can see how focused he is — it’s great to see his level. I’m happy with his performance.”

The Barcelona head coach recognised that this week is going to be quite important for his team:

“It always is. I remember the week against Bayern and Madrid, and this is similar. Obviously, it’s very important that we win, especially after the result in Lisbon. We are in a good mindset and have confidence in ourselves.”

Flick also praised his Benfica counter-part:

“No, they have a great team. Bruno Lage does a great job, and you can see his philosophy on the pitch. The best thing is for us to stay 100% focused and not think about the first leg.”

The German coach went on to highlight one aspect of Benfica’s play that his side will have to be wary of:

“Normally, they always press high. They do it very well and have won many away games. We need to focus on that.”

Flick identified positioning and possession as the tools that can help his team get a win in this match:

“It all comes down to positioning. Good possession helps us a lot, both in attack and defense. That’s what we want to do tomorrow.”

The Barcelona trainer once again reiterated his high regard for Angel di Maria:

“I already said he’s one of my favorite players. I won’t talk about players who won’t be here. He’s a fantastic and dangerous footballer despite his age.”

Lastly, the German tactician once again praised Wojciech Szczesny, who was key for his team in the first leg:

“Szczesny is a mature and experienced goalkeeper. His personality helps us a lot; he’s doing a great job.”

While Hansi Flick did not give any hints on his possible line-up for this game, it is quite easy to predict that he will field his strongest team for this game. But as the German coach said, Barcelona will have to ensure they get the job done at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, despite the advantage they enjoy over Benfica in this tie.