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FC Barcelona will be without Ferran Torres and Raphinha as they prepare to host Olympiacos in their UEFA Champions League Group Stage match on Tuesday night.
Manager Hansi Flick admitted the squad is in a “complicated situation” after recent injuries. “At the moment, we’re in a complicated situation, and I’m happy to have got the three points against Girona. It was very important and you could see that in the atmosphere in training; it’s good to see that, it’s what we need,” he said.
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Barcelona scraped a win over Girona at the weekend, with Ronald Araujo scoring the decisive goal after Flick introduced an unconventional substitution. The German coach has since been experimenting with formations in training, testing combinations including Roony Bardghji, Marcus Rashford, and Lamine Yamal.
“If the manager does opt for such a setup, it will be Rashford who continues to operate as the central striker and Yamal on the right. Bardghji… will be the one forced to adjust in a relatively new position – the left wing,” a report from SPORT noted.
Flick also discussed options for the midfield and attacking roles, highlighting the versatility of his players. “Rashford is a good option as a number 9, but he can also play as a number 11. That’s what we thought when we signed him: he can play as a number 9 or a number 11, and it’s great to have him in our team. He has improved a lot in recent weeks, he brings a lot of positives to the team,” he said.
The German coach gave an update on other players returning from injury, including Marc Bernal. “As I said, we have to take care of him. We’re not convinced he’s 100% ready to play these matches… He’s not at his best for the big games, we have to help him improve.”
Flick acknowledged Olympiacos’ attacking threat. “They have a good attack, the statistics say they are one of the best teams in attack. You only have to look at the match against Arsenal, where they had a lot of chances. We have to be alert to these situations, they have good players and a game plan, we have to be careful with them.”
The Blaugrana have struggled for consistency since losing to PSG in their previous Champions League fixture, including a defeat to Sevilla. Flick stressed the importance of improving positioning and pressing: “When we analysed the match against Girona, we talked about positioning, about keeping the right distance from the opposition… That’s what we have to improve: we have to find better positioning and, from there, press.”
Despite the recent challenges, Flick remains passionate about his role. “I love this club, I love Barcelona, I love the people here, it’s incredible, and I give my all for this club. I live for the club,” he said.
Barcelona will be hoping to bounce back at Montjuic and secure a vital three points before the looming El Clasico.
