FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick confirmed on Monday that forward Dani Olmo is ready to start in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals, set to take place this Tuesday at the Estadio Olímpico Lluís Companys.

"Olmo is ready to start and has already shown what he’s capable of, but we also need to manage him carefully, just like we’ve done so far. We have to keep going this way. The other day, in our win against UD Las Palmas (0-2), he scored a very important goal, and we’re happy with him," said the German coach.

Analyzing the Opponent and Barcelona’s Strategy

Speaking at a press conference from the Ciudad Deportiva Joan Gamper, Flick highlighted the quality of Atlético de Madrid, describing them as "a great team that has invested a lot of money" and is "doing things well" this season. "They have the best defense in LaLiga and strong attacking players. It’s going to be a tough match," he added.

The Barça boss, who turned 60 on Monday, insisted that he expects "a new game," unrelated to the loss against the red-and-white side last December 21 (1-2). "The positive takeaway from that match is that we learned we can play at the highest level. We could have scored two or three more goals before they equalized, and this time, we need to make the most of our chances in attack," he analyzed.

Tactical Decisions and Managing the Schedule

When asked about who will start in the holding midfield role—Frenkie de Jong or Marc Casadó—Flick pointed out that "everyone is in good form" and can "offer different things." "We have to decide what we need against Atlético, and we’ll make that call tomorrow," he added.

He also downplayed the significance of playing the first leg at home, emphasizing that the team always plays "to win." Additionally, he called on referees to be "more aware" of rough tackles on players and to hand out more yellow cards, though he insisted it’s "not about protecting Lamine Yamal, Vinícius Jr., or Kylian Mbappé specifically, but all players in general."

Regarding the packed schedule, the German coach admitted that the calendar isn’t always ideal, but changing it isn’t in the club’s hands. "Sometimes we’re not happy about it, but there’s nothing we can do. That’s up to LaLiga or the Federation. We’ve managed it well in the past, and I hope we’ll do so again in the future," he concluded.