Flick says winning LaLiga is Barcelona's top priority
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said winning LaLiga is his side's top priority this season as it prepares to face Atalanta in the Champions League.
The Spanish club has already booked its place in the last 16 of the Champions League after winning six of its seven matches in the league phase and is only three points behind Liverpool heading into the final matchday.
However, Barca is third in the Spanish top flight and has a seven-point gap to leader Real Madrid, while Atletico Madrid sits three points ahead.
With the result against Europa League-holder Atalanta inconsequential for Flick's side, he can afford to focus on the LaLiga meeting with Deportivo Alaves.
"For me, LaLiga is the most important thing we can win, and we can aspire to it all season long," the German tactician said.
"Obviously, there are other competitions, such as the Super Cup, the Copa del Rey or the Champions League, which are the most difficult to win, because there are many great teams competing.
"We want to finish this first phase in second place because it's a good situation for the next steps in the competition."
Serie A side Atalanta, meanwhile, is seventh in the Champions League with 14 points and will need a win to ensure a direct berth in the last 16.
"It's always difficult to play against Italian teams because they defend great," Flick said.
"Atalanta play one against one on the entire field. You're always under pressure in the build-up, and when they win the ball they're able to transition very fast. They always play with one contact, so we have to be ready for that."
Flick has won 10 of his 11 home Champions League games (W7, L1 with Bayern Munich and W3 with Barca). He also has both the best win percentage (91 percent) and best goals per game (3.1) of any manager with 10-plus home games in the competition.
Barca, however, are without defender Andreas Christensen, who suffered a calf injury during Monday's training session and will be out for around three weeks.
Flick has also made his intentions clear about who he trusts as his number one goalkeeper, favouring Wojciech Szczesny over Inaki Pena as both duelled for the role after the season-ending injury to Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
"Number one, a goalkeeper, is a special position. So yes, I can say it was one of the most difficult decisions I had to make since I've been here," Flick said.
"I know that when I say something good about Wojciech, it seems that maybe Inaki is weaker, but I don't like this. My job is to make a decision.
"For me, Szczesny is an experienced player, he also has a great personality. But both are great goalkeepers, and I have decided together with my staff to go with Szczesny."
Atalanta has scored two-plus goals in each of its last six away Champions League games (W3 D2 L1) and averages 2.4 goals per game on the road.
But the Italians are winless in their last five games against Spanish opposition (D1 L4), since beating Valencia in both legs of their 2019-2020 last-16 tie.
