After a 4-1 drubbing of Bayern Munich in the Champions League, the words coming out of Hansi Flick’s mouth are gospel in Barcelona. The German manager could scarcely have wished for a better start to life at the club, and their win over Bayern is regarded as their first big triumph under him.
Flick sent out his side to play an incredibly high line against Bayern, which defied the belief of many, but it came off well, with Barcelona robbing the ball and breaking on the German defence to great effect. As per Sport, Flick held a 45-minute long chat with his players ahead of the game, where he unpacked his tactical plans for the match.
In addition to those stipulations, he also told his players that they should forget about the previous results against Bayern Munich, and that they should not fear the physicality of their opponents. Instead he asked them to focus on their talent with the ball, which he convinced them would lead them to a win. His communication skills are highlighted as one of his strengths, despite the language barrier, and the phrase being repeated is that he has the dressing room ‘in his pocket’.
During the match, he told his players not to blink after Bayern equalised, and to keep the defensive line and pressure high. He also called on them to hold onto the ball for longer, advice which Pedri and Marc Casado took on board.
At half-time, Flick insisted that his side continued to look for more goals, and stayed alert with the high line. He also had special advice for Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde, which Arnau Blanco, one of his coaches, translated for him.
Now Flick will have to come up with another plan for Real Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior will certainly be intrigued by a line as high as the one that Bayern faced, but most would have predicted Serge Gnabry and Michael Olise to have more joy against it than they did. As has been the case all season with Barcelona, entertainment is guaranteed.