Barcelona coach Hansi Flick believes that to close the gap with Real Madrid in the LaLiga EA Sports standings, his team must "string together several wins to put pressure" on the Madrid side. He emphasized that securing a victory over Alavés this Sunday at the Estadio Olímpico Lluís Companys is crucial.

Flick’s Plan for the Comeback

"The situation we are in is our own doing. We’ve dropped too many points. A 7-point gap isn’t easy to close, but we must keep fighting. That’s what this team wants to do," said the German coach ahead of the league match against Alavés.

Flick also pointed out that Alavés will not be an easy opponent, highlighting the improvement in the team since Eduardo Coudet took over as manager. "He’s stabilized the defense, and they know how to attack with high pressure or with five defenders at the back. They’ve scored goals in the first ten minutes in three of their last five matches, and we must be aware of that," he commented.

The coach acknowledged that his team has struggled against lower-table rivals. "If you give 5-10% less, you can’t win because they are fighting to stay in LaLiga. We must show from the first minute that we’re at 100%," Flick reflected.

Barcelona’s Recoveries and Injuries

For the Alavés match, Flick welcomes back central defender Íñigo Martínez, who returns after three weeks out with an injury. However, he will still be without attacking midfielder Dani Olmo, who Flick stated "needs more time" before being cleared to play.

The German coach also confirmed that Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny will start in goal, leaving Iñaki Peña on the bench. Although the match will be played at the unusual time of 14:00, Flick downplayed this, saying, "The preparation isn’t very different from usual, but we’ll have to adapt. It will be very important to be prepared and eager to take the three points. It will be difficult. We’ll see if they attack or defend more," he commented.

Flick on Possible Reinforcements

Finally, when asked about potential reinforcements before the winter transfer window closes, Flick chose not to comment on possible signings. "I’m happy with the team I have. We have to work with the players we’ve got, and we’re trying to improve them day by day. Everyone is focused, they want to play and step up. We must give them that confidence," he concluded.