After a heartbreaking defeat to Inter Milan, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick admits facing a team like Real Madrid now feels even more difficult.
The pain of falling short in the Champions League still lingers. Despite a valiant effort, Barcelona’s semi-final exit at the hands of Inter has left a lasting wound. Now, they must turn their focus to a high-stakes La Liga clash against arch-rivals Real Madrid. Following the San Siro setback, Flick says the challenge of taking on the Spanish champions feels tougher than ever.
Facing Europe’s most decorated club is never easy.
In La Liga’s 35th round, the top two teams in the table will go head-to-head on Sunday. The match kicks off at 8:15 PM Bangladesh time, hosted at Barcelona’s home ground.
Barcelona bowed out of the Champions League after a 4-3 defeat to Inter Milan in the return leg of the semi-final. Now, their full attention is on La Liga. With 79 points from 34 matches, they lead the table, four points ahead of Real Madrid.
This upcoming showdown could very well shape the title race. Flick is determined to move on from the bitter night in Milan and focus fully on the challenge ahead.
“After the loss in Milan, everyone knows the (Clásico) battle won’t be easy. After such a match, it’s not easy. But we’re doing well. Four games remain, and the Clásico is very important. We must stay confident about what we want to do.”
“We’ve spoken to the players about their mindset. Everyone knows they need to give 100% in the Clásico. We need to be aggressive, dominant. We’ll have the fans’ support—we’re playing at home.”
This will be the fourth time Barcelona and Real Madrid meet this season. Flick has won all three previous encounters, two of which delivered titles. One more win would take Barcelona to the brink of the La Liga crown. Yet Flick insists his focus isn’t on silverware—it’s on securing all three points.
“In matches like this, Madrid will want to win, and so will we. I’m not concerned about the title—we want to win. That’s how we want to play, simply focusing on the match.”
“In a battle like this, we can see both sides of the coin. When we play against them, they put us under pressure too… no one knows exactly what will happen. Two great teams will play, and hopefully we can take advantage of playing at home. We’ll fight for three points, and hopefully we get them.”
