Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has issued a warning to his players, emphasising the need to eliminate mistakes as they prepare for a crucial Champions League encounter against French side Brest on Tuesday. The Spanish league leaders are looking to rebound after a recent dip in form, following a defeat to Real Sociedad and a draw against Celta Vigo.
In their latest match, Barcelona squandered a two-goal lead against Celta in the final stages, and Flick stressed the importance of tightening up defensively. Despite their impressive victories over Bayern Munich in Europe and Real Madrid in La Liga, he believes the young squad needs to take another step forward in their development.
“It’s about eliminating the mistakes, that’s important,” Flick said during Monday’s press conference. “We have a lot of things to do better with the ball, and that’s the focus.”
The German coach highlighted the need for better defending, particularly after going down to 10 men against Celta Vigo when Marc Casado received a red card, leaving Barcelona exposed. Flick believes his young squad—currently the youngest team in La Liga—needs to learn how to protect a lead, especially in challenging situations.
“We have to learn that—when we lead 2-0, with the red card, we have to defend much better than we did,” Flick added. “It’s not always a highway where you go at high speed; you have to take care in some situations.”
Barcelona currently sit sixth in the Champions League standings, with three wins and one loss from four matches. However, their next opponents, Brest, are a point ahead in fourth, despite being 12th in Ligue 1. The French side has enjoyed notable Champions League success, including an eye-catching 4-0 victory at Salzburg, and they now have the opportunity to claim a major scalp at Camp Nou.
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