Barcelona coach Hans Flick stated on Saturday that his team is fully focused on Sunday’s match against Leganés and will not let themselves be distracted by the upcoming clash with Atlético Madrid, their title rival in La Liga, scheduled for next weekend.
Barcelona currently leads the league but has secured only one win in their last five matches, allowing Real Madrid to close the gap to just two points. Atlético Madrid sits in third place, one point behind Real Madrid, with both teams having played one game fewer than Barcelona.
Next weekend, Barcelona will host Atlético in the last match before the league’s winter break. However, their immediate concern is Sunday’s game against Leganés, who are in 17th place and battling to avoid relegation.
In a press conference, Flick said:
“We are focused on tomorrow’s match against Leganés and not thinking ahead to Atlético. Decisions need to be made with the players. I’ve told the team that everything depends on us playing with 100% focus. Every team is looking for our weaknesses and will fight to exploit them. I want us to remain fully focused, respect our opponents, and play our style of football.”
Barcelona has been plagued by injuries this season, but with Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal returning in recent weeks, two more players are expected to make their comeback.
Forward Ansu Fati, who has missed Barcelona’s last four league matches, and defender Ronald Araújo, who hasn’t played this season after sustaining a muscle injury during Uruguay’s Copa América campaign in July, are both nearing a return.
Araújo was included in the squad during Wednesday’s 3-2 Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund but did not feature. Flick hinted that Araújo might play against Leganés:
“I’m considering giving him his first minutes of the season. I’m not sure if he will start, but if not, he’ll join later in the game. He’s ready, but it’s normal for a player to take time to reach peak performance after an injury. Ansu trained very well today.”
Flick, who will not be on the bench for the next two matches after being sent off during last weekend’s 2-2 draw against Real Betis, accepted the suspension but called for consistency in officiating:
“I accept this and acknowledge that I need to work on my behavior. However, I believe referees should apply the same standards across all games and all benches, not just Barcelona’s.”
