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Celta Vigo hosts a match against Barcelona on Sunday evening at Balaídos. The Catalan team aims to strengthen its position in the Spanish League before the international break, while some positions still occupy the thoughts of the German coach “Hans Flick.”
According to the newspaper “AS”, the right-back position is of concern, especially with the uncertainty of “Jules Koundé’s” situation after his foot injury. Also, “Eric Garcia” will have to play with a protective mask to protect his broken nose, which he sustained in the Champions League match against Club Brugge.
As for the attacking line, the center forward position also seems to be under discussion. “Robert Lewandowski” is considered the closest to returning to the starting lineup after his absence since the match against Sevilla on October 5, which saw him miss a penalty kick.
In contrast, the English player “Marcus Rashford” may sit on the bench, despite his good contributions this season, scoring two goals and providing 5 assists in the league. However, his inability to effectively pressure the opponents’ defenses remains a challenge for “Flick.”
Despite his absence from some matches, the Polish striker remains one of Barcelona’s top scorers in the tournament, scoring 4 goals, one goal behind his teammate “Ferran Torres.”
As for the rest of the positions, they seem more stable. “Wojciech Szczęsny” will guard Barcelona’s goal in his last match before the return of the young goalkeeper “Juan Garcia” after the international break.
The midfield will consist of “Marc Casadó,” “Frenkie de Jong,” and “Fermin Lopez.” While “Ronald Araujo” and “Pau Cubarsí” will form the heart of the defense, with “Alejandro Balde” on the left side.
In the attacking line, “Lamine Yamal” is expected to start after his brilliance in the Brugge match, alongside “Ferran Torres,” who will play on the left wing, and “Lewandowski” in the center forward position.
“Flick” will rely on a strong bench that includes players capable of changing the course of the match, such as “Rony Bardghji” and “Andreas Christensen,” who is returning from a calf injury, in addition to “Marcus Rashford,” who may be one of the attacking options in the second half.
The expected formation for Barcelona is:
Szczęsny, Garcia, Araujo, Cubarsí, Balde, Casadó, Fermin Lopez, Frenkie de Jong, Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, Lewandowski.
Flick’s statements in the press conference:
“Flick” confirmed in the press conference that preceded Barcelona’s match against Celta Vigo that the opponent is going through a better period than his team, and asked his players to apply the instructions they receive in the dressing room on the field.
The German coach said: “Celta Vigo is experiencing a wonderful moment, they have won 4 consecutive matches and have better dynamics than us at the moment, but everything will depend on the position we enter the match with. I spoke with the players about that, we desperately need the three points.”
Regarding the importance of the club president’s support for him, he explained: “Laporta’s support is always important. We talked a lot about the current situation, and we need more confidence.”
He added: “We saw in front of Club Brugge that our defensive line was sometimes too deep, and the attackers were far from the danger zones. We must be more connected with and without the ball, and this is what we are currently lacking. We talked about it, and I hope we apply it better tomorrow.”
When asked about the players’ commitment to the project and their belief in it, “Flick” replied confidently: “I am convinced that they know exactly what needs to be done.”
“Flick” moved on to talk about the comparison between his current experience at Barcelona and his second season with Bayern Munich, saying: “It is easy to compare and talk, but I don’t want to talk about Bayern Munich here, because that is not fair, because we also won the Bundesliga in the second season there. I am not looking for excuses, it is a fact that we are suffering from many important injuries, we are trying to manage it in the best possible way.”
He added: “We would have liked to have more points, but we came out with a point from the match against Club Brugge, and we are now five points behind Real Madrid in the Spanish League.”
He stressed: “We must continue working until next May, the road is still long. The players realize that we must play much better. When everyone returns in two or three matches, we will be at our best. They will help us a lot. Until then, we must continue to fight, and I think that is what we did not see on Wednesday against Club Brugge, we did not see that fighting spirit that we want to see.”
“Flick” spoke about the team’s defensive situation before the Celta Vigo match, saying: “Eric Garcia can play, and he is fine using the protective mask. As for Jules Koundé, he did not complete the training, and I have doubts about his participation tomorrow. I don’t think he will make it to the match, but we will wait until the last moment.”
The German coach also touched on comparing the current commitment to what happened last season, explaining: “The situation is completely different from what happened last season. I know that everyone is talking about the Club Brugge match, and the players know what happened there, we talked about everything that happened on the field. Now we must see this work reflected on the ground.”
Speaking about Barcelona’s return to its historic Camp Nou stadium, “Flick” said: “I hope so. If we look at history, it has always been the case. The stadium is amazing, and I felt great emotions yesterday, there was positive energy. For the future and the club, this is the most important thing. I congratulate everyone who participated in this project.”
Regarding the young goalkeeper “Juan Garcia” and the possibility of him joining the team’s list, “Flick” explained: “We are happy with his development, but we will wait until after the international break.”
He also confirmed that he had not spoken to the national team coaches about the issue of managing his players’ playing minutes, saying: “No, we haven’t talked about that.”
When asked about “Gavi’s” absence, he replied with regret: “It is nice to think that he could have been with us, he is a very important player for us. His personality and mentality are an example to follow. I would be happy for his return, whether for him personally or for the club, but we have to wait.”
Regarding the young star “Lamine Yamal”, “Flick” said: “Lamine tries every day to train better, he has become more disciplined, and he must maintain continuity until he fully recovers from his injury. I ask him for the same thing that I ask for here at the club, to be well taken care of. He has changed a lot, he has become physically better, and he trains well, even in the gym. He follows a daily treatment program, which is very important for his condition.”
He added: “We see Yamal approaching his best levels, but he has not yet reached 100%. He still feels some pain, so we have to protect him, and I think the national team is doing that too.”
“Flick” concluded his statements by emphasizing the importance of translating what is said behind closed doors into tangible performance on the field, saying: “Everything we talk about must appear on the field, because words alone are not enough. We need a real reaction that shows the players’ commitment and determination to move in the right direction.”
