Barcelona boss Flick plays down UCL title talk
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has played down talk of his side lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy this year, insisting he is only focused on winning the next clash at Benfica.
Flick heaped praise on Liverpool, which is top of the UEFA Champions League table with a perfect 18 points, three ahead of second-placed Barca, followed by six teams on 13 points.
The top eight qualify automatically for the Round of 16, and the next 16 teams meet in two-legged play-offs for the right to join them. Benfica is currently 15th with 10 points.
"The future will tell whether we are among the favourites or not," Flick said. "The [UEFA] Champions League is one of the most difficult competitions to win, but we have to try.
"When I look at Liverpool, I see a team with incredible power. They are one of my favourite teams in the world right now.
"We are doing well, but there are very good teams that are also doing well, and we are contending on three fronts [UEFA Champions League, LaLiga and Copa del Rey].
"Benfica are a team that plays very well. It's a pleasure to see how they build. Angel Di Maria is one of my favourite players. Let's see how we do tomorrow."
Despite Barcelona's UEFA Champions League form and place in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals after a 5-1 thrashing of Real Betis last week, it is off the pace in LaLiga.
It's most recent league success was a 5-1 victory away to Mallorca in early December, and it is now on a four-game winless streak after a 1-1 draw at lowly Getafe at the weekend.
Third-placed Barca jas 39 points from 20 games and trails leader Real Madrid by seven points, and second-placed Atletico Madrid by five.
Nevertheless, Flick is happy with his side's LaLiga performances and is looking forward to playing at Estadio da Luz, where he won the UEFA Champions League with Bayern Munich in 2020.
"I have great memories of this stadium," Flick said. "If you look at the LaLiga results, we are not doing a good job. But if you look at our games, we are playing very well.
"Despite the results, I would say that the team is playing great and working very focused. As I said in Getafe, it's my first season here and in LaLiga. I had no experience and I didn't know how the opposition were going to play.
"Our goal is to win against Benfica. It would be a big step for us, and we want to do it. In the position we're in, being second, it's important to secure these points.
"There are a lot of games left between now and the end of the season, and we could save two games if we avoid the playoffs by finishing in the top eight."
