Hansi Flick Emphasises Grounded Approach For Barcelona In Champions League Quarter-Final

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Hansi Flick is focused on maintaining Barcelona's composure as they prepare for their Champions League quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund. Despite being favourites, Flick emphasises the importance of staying grounded. Barcelona remain unbeaten this year and are pursuing a potential quadruple. They lead LaLiga with eight games left, having already secured the Supercopa de Espana by defeating Real Madrid, whom they will face in the Copa del Rey final.

The Opta supercomputer predicts Barcelona have a 23.1% chance of winning the Champions League and a 78.2% likelihood of overcoming Dortmund in the first leg at home on Wednesday. "We can dream, but players and coaches must keep our feet on the ground," Flick stated to reporters. He stressed that their achievements are due to hard work and should not mark an end point.

Flick is determined for his team to continue their unbeaten run this year, acknowledging the challenge posed by Dortmund. "We have to pull out all the stops to keep going," he said. Despite Dortmund's domestic struggles, currently eighth in the Bundesliga, they reached last season's Champions League final against Real Madrid.

Dortmund recently faced another setback with Germany centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck ruled out for the season due to a knee injury. Flick commented, "I prefer to play against the better team. I'm sorry about Nico's loss and I wish him well." He believes Dortmund's quality remains intact despite absentees.

Flick addressed questions regarding Brazil forward Raphinha, who was benched during Barca's 1-1 draw with Real Betis in LaLiga. Raphinha has scored 27 goals and provided 20 assists in 44 matches this season but has been fatigued since returning from international duty. "We have tried, after the international break, to get him back on his feet," Flick explained.

The coach observed Raphinha's performance in training as promising: "What I saw in the session is the same as I saw before: he's very active, awake, dynamic... it shows that he's ready for tomorrow's game." This suggests Raphinha could play a crucial role against Dortmund.

As Barcelona prepare for their upcoming challenges, Flick remains focused on ensuring his team performs at their best while keeping expectations realistic. The match against Dortmund will test their resolve as they aim to maintain their impressive form and pursue further success this season.