Hansi Flick talks Minarro, Yamal, Raphinha after Barcelona 3-1 Benfica | OneFootball

FC Barcelona booked a spot in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals last night as they beat the Portuguese side SL Benfica 3-1, and winning this Round of 16 tie with an aggregate score of 4-1.

This game went on to highlight the good work that Hansi Flick has done since his arrival on the Blaugrana bench. As a result, the German tactician was quite satisfied with his team’s performance as he talked to the media and the press after the end of the game.

As SPORT has reported, the Barcelona head coach expressed his happiness, both with his team’s performance and the progress to the quarter-finals:

“I’m very happy with reaching the quarter-finals, of course. We had a lot of respect for Benfica; it was a difficult match, and they made things complicated for us. Their coach prepared a great game with many transitions. We were able to control the match, and it was enjoyable to watch. We could have scored another goal, but we played very well.”

Flick made it clear that his team is aiming to win the UCL trophy this season:

“It’s important to look ahead to the quarter-finals; we have to see who we will face. Our goal is to win the Champions League, but we know it’s the most difficult trophy to win.”

The Barcelona coach also took this moment to remember the recently deceased Dr. Carles Minarro:

“This was our objective. After everything that happened, it was a great attitude, and Carles will always be with us. He will always have a special place in our team.”

Lamine Yamal scored an incredible goal last night to end his scoring drought, and Flick praised the youngster for this contribution:

“Lamine’s goal was incredible. I’m very happy for him; it had been a while since he last scored. He’s showing a lot of confidence on the pitch, the goal came at the right moment, and it was very important for us.”

After the game, Raphinha had said that his team was one of the favorites to win the UCL, but Flick was more restrained when asked about his team’s chances:

“It’s good that the players think this way. They have confidence, but my job is to stay calm and focus on the next match.”

The Barcelona trainer also highlighted the good atmosphere in the locker room and the team’s mentality:

“You have to have an idea of how to play and think positively. Everyone is very focused, and we are all positive, which is good. It helps a lot that the players are so young—we see it in training and in matches, they enjoy being with each other. I love the players’ mentality; they are extremely focused. They have a lot of fun together, and we have a great atmosphere in the locker room.”

Despite this important victory, Flick was clear that the road ahead is still difficult for the Catalans:

“I think it’s not worth looking at the past—I wasn’t even here. We started with our own idea, and everyone is fully committed to it, which is the foundation of everything. The players who joined later have given their best for the team. We have to keep going like this, but it’s a very long road ahead.”

There is no doubt that this was quite a good performance from the Blaugranes in last night’s match, and Flick has all the reasons to be happy. However, as he himself mentioned, he will now have to ensure Barcelona build up on this win and go on to actually win the title this season.