Barcelona's Hansi Flick Emphasises LaLiga As Top Priority Before Atalanta Match

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Barcelona's head coach, Hansi Flick, emphasised that winning LaLiga is the team's main goal this season. As they gear up to face Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday, their focus remains on domestic success. Despite securing a spot in the Champions League last 16 with six wins from seven matches, they trail Real Madrid by seven points in LaLiga.

Flick expressed his priorities clearly: "For me, LaLiga is the most important thing we can win, and we can aspire to it all season long." While other competitions like the Super Cup and Copa del Rey are significant, he believes LaLiga offers a consistent challenge throughout the season. Barcelona's upcoming match against Deportivo Alaves is crucial for their league campaign.

Atalanta, currently seventh in Serie A, need a victory to secure a direct place in the Champions League last 16. They have accumulated 14 points so far. Flick acknowledged the difficulty of facing Italian teams due to their strong defensive play and quick transitions. "It's always difficult to play against Italian teams because they defend great," he noted.

Barcelona's performance under Flick has been impressive at home in the Champions League. He has won 10 out of 11 home games across his tenures with Bayern Munich and Barcelona. His win percentage stands at 91%, with an average of 3.1 goals per game, making him one of the most successful managers in this regard.

The team faces challenges with injuries and player selection. Defender Andreas Christensen will miss around three weeks due to a calf injury sustained during training. Additionally, Flick has chosen Wojciech Szczesny as his first-choice goalkeeper over Inaki Pena after Marc-Andre ter Stegen's season-ending injury.

"Number one, a goalkeeper, is a special position," Flick explained about his decision-making process. He praised both goalkeepers but ultimately decided on Szczesny for his experience and personality. "My job is to make a decision," he stated firmly.

Atalanta's Recent Form

Atalanta have been prolific in their recent away games in the Champions League, scoring two or more goals in each of their last six matches on the road. However, they have struggled against Spanish teams recently, failing to win any of their last five encounters since defeating Valencia in the 2019-20 last-16 tie.

The match against Atalanta may not affect Barcelona's Champions League standing significantly but provides an opportunity for tactical adjustments ahead of their LaLiga clash with Deportivo Alaves. The focus remains on closing the gap with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in Spain's top flight.