Flick: "We will adapt to Real Madrid"

"I trust my team. We had our plan against Bayern and saw that we needed to improve. In every match, you adapt, and now we will adapt to Real Madrid. There are always fast opposing players, but my players are doing great. You have to adapt to different situations," said Hansi Flick during the press conference before the classic. The German coach was happy after the big victory in the Champions League and now looks forward to a match that could either propel his team to the top of the standings or open a fierce battle with the eternal rival. "It will be a great match," he said.

It's no wonder. Barça arrives at the Santiago Bernabéu match flying high after collecting 27 points from the first 30 played in the league and after scoring four goals against Bayern Munich. Despite this, Flick does not want to lose focus on what is truly important. "It's nice to be praised, but I know my job is about results. If you win, good, and if not, not so good. We focus on how we want to play and on bringing passion. Wednesday night's atmosphere was fantastic, and the classic will have it too. It's the classic with capital letters; those in Germany are not the same," he admitted.

Flick also used the press conference to show that looking for excuses is not his style. His team will have 24 hours less rest after Real Madrid played on Tuesday and the Blaugranas on Wednesday, something that he considers unimportant. "We can't do anything about it. Everyone does their own thing. The players will manage; they have trained very well," he admitted while commenting on the video released by Real Madrid TV criticizing the referees' work in previous matches. "I didn't know about it; it's not right to do this. Referees have a tough job, and I have a good experience with them. I told my team to focus on performance and not on the referee. If there is any play, it is checked," he noted.

Finally, Flick spoke about the young talents he has encountered during his time in Barcelona and who passed the test against Bayern with flying colors. Pau Cubarsí "is hungry to improve and is on an extraordinary path," Fermín López "presses well and does what he wants with the ball," and Lamine Yamal "is very fast, fantastic with the ball, and uses space perfectly," he concluded.