‘There’s no easy opponent’… Hansi Flick reacts to Barcelona getting SL Benfica in the UCL draw

Barca News Network

·21. Februar 2025

‘There’s no easy opponent’… Hansi Flick reacts to Barcelona getting SL Benfica in the UCL draw

It is no secret that FC Barcelona aspires to do well in the UEFA Champions League. After all, the Catalan club is one of the most prestigious teams in the competition’s history despite their complicated history in it as well. However, there is enough commitment within this current Barcelona team to have faith in their progress.

Before they can even think of reaching a hypothetical final, however, the club must first get through the opponent that is right in front of them. Following the recent UCL draw, Barcelona have found out that they will be facing SL Benfica in the competition’s Round of 16.

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Ahead of the game, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has spoken about the draw during his pre-game press conference ahead of the La Liga clash against UD Las Palmas and shared how he feels about taking on the Portuguese side. As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, he made it clear that the game will be a difficult one, and that Benfica is a dangerous team:

“I think it will be a difficult match. They are doing very well, and we saw it; they caused us a lot of damage. In this round and the last one of the Champions League, there’s no easy opponent. We’re all in this situation, and it will be a tough tie.”

However, he also quickly dismissed incoming questions that asked his opinion of a potential final against Real Madrid. Instead, the Barcelona coach chose to suggest that the team will take things one step at a time and not get ahead of themselves:

“First, we have to reach the final, that’s our goal. I don’t care about the opponent, we just want to get there. It’s a long road. First, we have Benfica, which is a great team.”

As for the opinion of people representing SL Benfica, their Director of International Relations recently also spoke about the draw against Barcelona and how his side feels about it. For both teams, especially after the classic they produced this season, this will be a game that demands their full attention.