Hansi Flick Hails Barcelona's Team Spirit After Benfica Comeback

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick praised his team's mentality after their 5-4 comeback win over Benfica in the Champions League.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick praised his team's mentality after their thrilling 5-4 comeback win over Benfica on Tuesday, which secured their spot in the Champions League last 16. Flick highlighted the importance of his team's resilience, saying, “It was a very crazy game. The most positive thing was the mentality we had. We came back and that's wonderful. That's football and that's why we love it.”

The match was a rollercoaster ride for Barcelona, who found themselves 3-1 down at half-time after Benfica's Vangelis Pavlidis netted a hat-trick. The Greek striker capitalized on some sloppy defending from the visitors. Flick acknowledged that his team did not play well in the first half, stating, “I don't think I've ever experienced a comeback like this. It is unbelievable. We didn't play so well in the first half. They are very good and scored first.”

Despite their poor first-half performance, Barcelona improved significantly after the break. However, they still found themselves 4-2 down towards the end of the match. It was not until goals from Robert Lewandowski, Eric Garcia, and Raphinha that Barcelona secured their incredible comeback. Flick credited the substitutions he made during the game, saying, “They made us defend very deep. We were not in the right position. In the second half, we were better, and substitutions helped us a lot.”

Hansi Flick's decision to start goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny over Inaki Pena could have proved costly after the Polish goalkeeper committed errors leading to two Benfica goals in the first half. However, Flick chose not to criticize Szczesny, instead focusing on the team's collective performance. “Which player does not make mistakes? It is normal. Szczesny had some mistakes, but all the players made mistakes in the first half,” Flick said.

Flick emphasized the importance of teamwork and collective responsibility, stating, “We win together, we lose together. We are a team.” He also highlighted Szczesny's improved performance in the second half, saying, “I liked what I saw in the second half, he saved a clear chance for Benfica.”

With the thrilling comeback win over Benfica behind them, Barcelona must now shift their focus to their upcoming LaLiga match against Valencia at home. Flick acknowledged the challenge ahead, saying, “The victories give us time to keep believing in this project and send the message to the young players that we can and want to improve.”

Flick emphasized the need for his team to remain focused and motivated, particularly with key matches looming. “It's very important to focus on the Valencia game, and we also want to beat Atalanta,” he said.“We don't have to think that we are at ease.”