Lewandowski Focused On Barcelona After World Cup Failure, Says Flick

Barcelona enter a key spell of their season with a LaLiga trip to Atletico Madrid and a Champions League quarter-final on the horizon, as Hansi Flick backs Robert Lewandowski to respond positively following World Cup heartbreak with Poland and lead a squad managing injuries, form swings and intense pressure in both competitions.

Lewandowski’s national team lost 3-2 to Sweden on Tuesday, ending hopes of reaching this summer’s World Cup, and the 37-year-old hinted at international retirement on social media, yet Flick insists Barcelona’s top scorer will quickly turn attention to club duties, with a domestic and European double still a realistic target this campaign.

Flick highlighted how Lewandowski handled Poland’s decisive fixtures, stressing the forward’s mindset as Barcelona chase trophies. Flick said of Lewandowski: "He played 90 minutes in both matches [for Poland], He's very professional, and the thought of not being able to play in the World Cup makes him sad, but that's part of life. Now he's focused on what we need from him in the coming weeks."

Barcelona currently sit top of LaLiga heading into Saturday’s visit to Atletico Madrid, and the sides will then meet again over two legs in the Champions League quarter-finals, meaning three matches between the clubs in a short period and leaving little margin for error as Flick manages rhythm, rotation and tactical plans across both contests.

Barcelona’s preparations were hit during the international window when Raphinha suffered another injury while with Brazil, adding to Flick’s selection problems in attack. Reflecting on the setback, Flick said of Raphinha’s injury, which occurred while he was on international duty with Brazil: "There are no guilty parties. It's an injury, and that’spart of football; we have to accept it,"

Flick admitted the timing of Raphinha’s problem made planning harder but stressed the group’s depth. Flick added: "It hasn't come at the best time, which saddens us, and now we'll have to see how we manage it, we have a lot of players. These things happen. He went to Brazil. Normally, we want players here [when they are injured]. We were talking and he was very down, and to help him relax and clear his head, we decided together with Deco he could spend a few days relaxing in Brazil with his family. Sometimes you have to make different decisions."

Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid: Flick on Simeone, Griezmann and Metropolitano test

With Atletico sitting fourth in LaLiga, Flick dismissed any suggestion that Saturday’s league clash might be less intense than the Champions League meetings to follow, underlining the quality of Diego Simeone’s squad and style. He said: "No, it's always tough against them, and they have one of the best coaches in the world. I like what I see of them and how they play. They have some of the best players in the world, like [Antoine] Griezmann. Their players are fantastic, and the atmosphere at their stadium is magnificent too."

Barcelona will at least receive some positive news on availability. The club highlighted returning defenders and the gradual recovery plan for Frenkie de Jong. "The good news is that well have Kounde, Balde and Eric back. De Jong will be able to start training with the group next week, but we have to take it step by step. Hansi Flick

Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid: key players and scoring trends

Individual records suggest specific threats at both ends in Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid, with Alexander Sorloth’s numbers against Barcelona and Ferran Torres’ habit of scoring versus Atletico drawing attention as these attackers head into another important clash that could influence both the title race and qualification momentum for European competition.

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Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid: statistics, Opta prediction and form guide

Historical data leans towards Barcelona in Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid, although recent away results show some vulnerability. Atletico’s season has featured dropped points from winning positions, while Barcelona have often recovered from behind, creating an intriguing contrast before the latest meeting at the Metropolitano in league play.

Atletico boss Simeone has only won 11% of 28 LaLiga games against Barcelona (P28 W3 D7 L18), the lowest win rate Simeone holds against any opponent faced at least twice in the competition, while Atletico have dropped 19 points from leading positions this season, joint-second most alongside Real Oviedo and behind Espanyol’s 20.

Barcelona’s resilience is reflected by gaining 18 points from losing positions, more than any other LaLiga side this season, yet the team have also lost two of their last four league away matches, as many defeats as in the previous 21 away league fixtures, which produced 15 wins, four draws and two losses overall.

Atletico defeated Real Madrid 5-2 at home in September 2025, raising the chance of achieving home league victories against both Barcelona and Real Madrid in the same season for only the second time in 45 years, a feat last managed in 2021-22, while Barcelona have won their last three LaLiga away matches at the Metropolitano.

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OPTA’s model gives Barcelona a 42.5% chance of victory against Atletico Madrid, higher than Atletico’s 32.6% probability and the 24.9% rating for a draw, and when combined with recent head-to-head records, momentum from comebacks, Lewandowski’s renewed focus and returning defenders, the data frames Barcelona as slight favourites for this crucial fixture run.