‘Europe’s sensation’… Real Sociedad manager full of admiration for Hansi Flick’s Barcelona | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have a difficult game awaiting them as they prepare to face Real Sociedad in their next La Liga match. While there is no doubt about the quality of this La Real side, the Catalans will be quite confident in their ability to secure all three points, especially after successfully overcoming far sterner tests earlier in the season.

In addition to getting very good results, Barcelona under Hansi Flick has also been playing very entertaining football. The Real Sociedad coach, Imanol Alguacil, himself admitted this as he talked to the press ahead of tonight’s game.

As Diario AS has reported, the Spanish tactician commented in some detail on Barcelona’s style of play in this press conference. He seemed quite impressed with the way the Blaugranes have been playing lately:

“It’s truly amazing; it says a lot about this team and this coach. Honestly, it’s a joy to watch Barcelona play. Offensively, they’ve changed their approach—I think they’re much more direct, they cause more trouble for their opponents, and they don’t hold back. That’s why they create so many chances and score so many goals.”

Alguacil went on to highlight the main strengths of the Catalan team:

“They have many strengths. They’re capable of hurting you not only through passing but also through transitions. We all praise how high and well they hold the line, their high press… There are many good and unique things about them, which is why they’re Europe’s sensation. We all enjoy playing these kinds of games; it’s a great opportunity to prove ourselves, and in front of our fans, no less.”

The Real Sociedad coach also talked about the difficulty of coming up with a winning strategy against Hansi Flick’s Barcelona:

“All of us players and coaches have seen that, but no one has been able to create chances against them like that… It shows that they’re doing things very well; it’s no coincidence that they win so many games and in the way they’re doing it.”

“Many teams have tried playing differently, but very few have managed to break through. That shows they can neutralize the different solutions opponents present. Of course, I’m exploring various ways to break through them; many haven’t been able to do it, so let’s see if we can be among the first.”

Barcelona’s results since the start of the season go on to justify Alguacil’s words about finding a counter to Blaugranes’ football. But he still remains a very competent coach, and it will not be a surprise to see him put up a significant challenge to Hansi Flick and his team in the match tonight.