UCL: Flick expects better Barcelona at Dortmund

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said he expects his side’s “best performance possible” in the Champions League quarter-final against Dortmund on Tuesday despite holding a 4-0 first-leg lead.

Speaking during a pre-match press conference on Monday, Hansi Flick stressed the dominant showing in Barcelona by his team would not alter their approach for the return tie. “The idea we have of football is to give our best performance possible,” said Flick. “We’ve got high quality in our team, and our expectation is to show that game after game.”

Flick returns to Germany, where he won a remarkable six titles, including the Champions League after taking over mid-season at Bayern Munich in 2019-20 – in what was his first season as a head coach at a top-flight club. The man he took over from, Niko Kovac, will be in the opposing dugout on Tuesday.

The 60-year-old has Barcelona on track for a remarkable treble in his first season in charge. Barcelona are four points clear of Real Madrid in La Liga and are into the Copa del Rey final, where they also face ‘Los Blancos’. Regardless of his success with Bayern or his potential achievements this season, Flick told reporters he was focused only on the present.

“I don’t live in the past or the future. That’s all up in the air. We’re focused on Dortmund and everything that comes would be welcome. We want the players to enjoy tomorrow, measuring themselves against some of the best in Europe. We don’t take anything lightly. We’re in the quarter-finals and have the chance to make it to the semis. And then there’s a chance at the end that we can achieve even more.”

Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, one of the elder statesmen in the team, echoed his coach’s statements. “It’s a big moment for everyone and a big moment for me,” said the former Arsenal and Juventus shotstopper. “We need to manage a game where everyone thinks it’s finished, but it’s not. If you let them back into the game, they’ll take their chances.”

Szczesny came out of retirement to play for Barcelona in October after first-choice ‘keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen got injured. Asked if the Poland goalie would retain his starting position when the 32-year-old returns to the fold, Flick said he did not have a definitive answer. “Anything can happen in football. I can’t give you a 100% answer,” he admitted.