Put Championship League Semi Final Elimination Behind, Focus on Match Against Real Madrid, Counsels Hansi Flick

Hansi Flick has called on his Barcelona players to put their Champions League semi-final elimination behind them and focus on Sunday’s crucial La Liga Clasico against Real Madrid.

The Catalan giants lead the Spanish top flight by four points ahead of their arch-rivals and defending champions Real Madrid, with just four matches remaining.

The Blaugrana were ousted from the Champions League on Tuesday by Inter Milan, ending their dreams of a potential quadruple.

However, Flick is determined to ensure that his team bounces back strongly against their fiercest rivals.

“We spoke about what they (the players) are thinking, what they are feeling, it’s important in a group that we speak about that,” Flick told a news conference on Saturday. “Everyone knows that in a Clasico, you have to be on your highest level, that’s what we have to do. We want to be active, we want to see the team (play) with intensity on the pitch, dominant as normal, and we know it’s a really fantastic team from Real (against us).”

Barcelona have enjoyed a successful run against Real Madrid this season, having beaten them in all three Clasicos played so far.

The Catalans thrashed Los Blancos 4-0 in La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu in October, before winning the Spanish Super Cup final 5-2 in January and edging them 3-2 in extra-time in the Copa del Rey final in April.

Despite their impressive record against Real Madrid, Flick is taking nothing for granted. “We always go into the match to win the match, doesn’t matter about the table,” he added. “We’ll focus on this match, give everything to get three points…

The Clasico is important for our fans, everyone, for Barca, for the players, for me, my coaching staff, it’s great to play against them and compete against them.”

Barcelona received a boost ahead of the match with the return to fitness of Alejandro Balde and Marc Casado.

The duo had been sidelined with injuries, but were passed fit to play on Saturday. Midfielder Casado has been missing for almost two months after a knee ligament injury, while Balde missed the last month with a hamstring problem.

Robert Lewandowski, who returned from injury to play as a substitute against Inter on Tuesday, is also expected to feature against Real Madrid. However, Flick hinted that all three players may start on the bench, rather than in the starting lineup.

“After this match, we have three more matches,” noted the coach. “We need to be smart and make the right decisions to ensure that we have a strong team for the rest of the season.”

The stakes are high for both teams, with Barcelona looking to maintain their lead at the top of the table and Real Madrid seeking to close the gap.

Even if Barcelona lose, they would still be top of the table by a point, but Flick is determined to ensure that his team emerges victorious.

The Clasico is always a highly anticipated and intense matchup, and Sunday’s encounter promises to be no exception. With the title race hanging in the balance, both teams will be giving it their all to come out on top.