After securing a resounding 4-1 home victory over Copenhagen, Barcelona safely advanced to the top eight of the UEFA Champions League. Head coach Hansi Flick expressed his satisfaction with his side’s second-half performance in post-match comments.
The following is the content of his flash interview.
Flash Interview
Five Premier League teams have reached the last eight. Do you regard them as title favorites?
I believe the Premier League is the best league in the world. A huge amount of investment goes into it, allowing clubs to sign a large number of players. You can see they are active in the transfer market every single window, buying whoever they want. But I think every player and every team in the Champions League has real quality. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Did you follow what happened in the other matches?
No, I was focused entirely on my own team. After the game, I thought: fifth place, that’s a good result.
Perhaps you need to improve your defensive record in the Champions League?
Well, it’s not just our defending in the Champions League. We need to get better defensively in La Liga too.
Was this a complicated match for you?
They played very well in the first half. We conceded the opening goal again… We usually attack down the flanks, but today we tried to build through the middle. We became too fixated on playing through the center, trying to win the ball back there and hit them on the counter.
But after that, we produced an excellent second half and scored some great goals. That’s what our fans want to see, and I’m very pleased with that.
But you certainly put in a strong performance.
Yes, very good. But to be honest, I wasn’t happy with how we started the first half. I thought we were much better in the second period, so we need to start games like that from the first minute. That’s my take on today’s match, and we still have room to improve.
The following is the content of his post-match press conference.
What did you say at half-time that led to such a big improvement after the break?
You’re right, we were miles better in the second half than the first. I think everyone is satisfied, because we’ve avoided having to play two extra matches. The support from the fans in the second half was also crucial.Copenhagen played really well in the first half, and they kept pressing bravely right until the end. This game will help us improve and identify areas where we can do better.I wouldn’t exactly call it a change of approach, but we spoke to the players about maintaining better positional discipline and similar things. I wasn’t satisfied with the first half, but in the end, I think everyone is happy.
What is your assessment of the Champions League league phase, and your thoughts on reaching the last eight?
I told the team that we take responsibility for the results. If we had to play two extra games, so be it—it wouldn’t have been a problem. All in all, though, I’m happy with where we are.
I also noticed that five of the eight teams are from the Premier League. That shows the level of the Champions League and just how strong the Premier League is. It is the best league, but we always focus on ourselves. I’m pleased with the outcome and with qualifying for the last eight.
Bernal had an excellent performance today. Why have you gradually increased his playing time, and will he get more opportunities going forward?
You’ve basically answered your own question. He put in a fantastic performance. We monitor him every day in training, and I believe he still has plenty of room to grow.We all know he’s an outstanding player with great technical ability and excellent tempo control. He was brilliant in the second half, keeping possession well and producing clever passes.His physical condition still needs work, and that’s something we’re working on. He suffered a serious injury and is now back. These minutes on the pitch are good for him—playing 45 minutes helps his development. We’ll see how things unfold in the coming matches.
This is your first Champions League night at Camp Nou. What do you make of the atmosphere, and has fan support been key to your success this season?
I usually focus so much on the game that I don’t pay much attention to the stands, but I could really feel the strong connection between the fans and the team today. They cheered us on and gave us a lot of positive energy, which is exactly what we need. I’m very grateful for that.
Were you surprised that big sides like Real Madrid, Inter and Paris failed to reach the last eight?
This is the Champions League, and it perfectly shows how exciting the competition has become after the format change. But as I always say, I only focus on my team. I’m delighted we’re in the last eight; I don’t care about other teams’ results.
You have now recorded 70 wins from 93 matches as Barcelona manager. Did you expect this when you first arrived?
Seventy wins in 93 games? Oh, that’s not good enough, not good enough (laughs). I want to win every single match, even though I know that’s not realistic. But I don’t pay much attention to statistics. I use them sometimes, but not all the time.
Yamal carried the team once again. Is he fully over his injury problems?
Absolutely. He does have to adapt to his new reality, though—opponents always assign one or two players to mark him, sometimes even three. But he’s been performing exceptionally well, especially with his first goal today. His speed is incredible; he beat his man and delivered the final pass.His contribution wasn’t just attacking. He made a big difference defensively too. I remember one crucial recovery tackle he made. It was vital, because otherwise the opposition would have been through on goal, and he arrived just in time. That’s all part of his performance, and he’s doing brilliantly. I’m very happy with his progress.He’s clearly a special talent. You saw today that he wins almost every one-on-one situation and holds onto the ball consistently, which is so important for us.
Since Raphinha’s return, Rashford has struggled for minutes. What does he need to do to earn a starting spot?
No, in my opinion he’s extremely important, and we need every member of the squad. Other teams have strong benches, and so do we. I think he’s been performing well.He wasn’t feeling well after the game against Slavia Prague, so he missed the previous match, but he was ready today. His quality is clear for everyone to see: he has pace, ball control and finishing ability. It’s fantastic to have him in the squad.
Do you believe this team has what it takes to compete for the Champions League title?
We believe we have the quality, but we still need to improve. In the knockout stages, we can’t start games the way we did today. We have to be ready from the first whistle. That’s what I expect from the team, and there are many areas we need to work on.