This Wednesday at 9 PM (CET) Paris Saint-Germain (2nd) will face FC Barcelona (12th) at the Montjuïc Stadium in the second matchday of the 2025-2026 Champions League. In a press conference, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick spoke about this match and the Parisian team. He emphasized the challenges ahead, while also expressing his ambition.
Flick: “There will be some key players who won’t be able to play, but we have a lot of quality, and it will be a great match.”
“What kind of match can we expect?”
“We are playing against the best team in Europe from last year, with fantastic players and a fantastic coach. I really enjoyed watching them, their style of play. We are looking forward to this match.”
Injuries?
“With this schedule, managing injuries is part of our job. Every coach wants all their players available. There will be some key players who won’t be able to play, but we have a lot of quality, and it will be a great match.”
Flick: “It’s about positioning and ball control.”
The strategy: trying to score as many goals as possible?
“That’s always good. Trying to score the second goal before the first never works. We need to work on our strategy. As I often say, it’s about positioning and ball control. It won’t be easy because they know how to press and dominate, and they know where the ball needs to go. We have to play at the highest level from the first minute, and that’s what we expect from our players; this is the Champions League.”
Revenge for 2024?
“We are Barcelona, and we like to be favorites in the Champions League, but we know it takes a lot of work; it’s a very long journey. Revenge? I’m not thinking about the last match; I’m focused on the next one.” “I’m not thinking about the past; their team is different, and so is ours; everything has changed completely,” he said, as reported by RMC Sport.
It’s obviously a highly anticipated match, and there is great respect between these two teams. Flick certainly believes in his players and has a plan to give them the best possible chance of achieving a positive result. However, he can’t, and doesn’t pretend to, ignore the fact that they are facing a formidable opponent.
This match is a major European clash, featuring two of the strongest teams of recent months. There will be some players unavailable, and some people prefer to focus on that aspect. But the Barça coach rightly emphasizes that there will be, above all, great players on the pitch.
Everyone is looking forward to it; a great show is guaranteed. Both teams like to control possession, quickly regaining it through intense pressing. It will be a tough battle, and the outcome could change very quickly. Let’s look forward to this match, which also has a certain historical significance. Even so, only the result of this Wednesday evening will truly matter.
