Barcelona is enjoying a series of seven victories in La Liga, but now it must turn its attention to the King's Cup tournament, writes sportal.bg.
The team is the current holder of the trophy, and now it begins its defense with a visit to the third division Guadalajara from the city of the same name in a clash of the 1/16-finals. The match is on Tuesday at 22:00 at the opponent's stadium - “Pedro Escartín”, which holds only 6,000 people and is about 560 km from Barcelona. The winner will be determined in this match.
At his meeting with the media, Barca coach Hansi Flick announced rotations in the squad. He also commented on the hot topic of Real Madrid's dissatisfaction with the refereeing in the previous match against Alaves. Here is what the coach said:
What will the match against Guadalajara be like?
We have to play like in La Liga. We are the favorites and I want to see quality from the team.
Do we need additional motivation for this opponent?
It's about mentality and attitude. The players know it - the match depends on us. For me, that's the main element. We have to show what we are capable of. Last season we already played against Barbastro and showed it, we want to do the same.
Is a treble possible?
That's always the goal of big clubs. We are focused on winning trophies. We have the quality, but there is a long way to go.
Is the team at the same level this season as last season?
We have suffered a lot from injuries in the last two months. In the last four weeks we have improved a lot, the injured players have returned and we can see the quality of the team. It is always about progress after each match – to see what we can do better. We are in the middle of the season and there is a lot of room for improvement. That is our goal: to improve in each match.
What about Real Madrid's complaints about the refereeing?
We all know that referees are part of the game, we cannot do without them. Sometimes you think they could have done better, but other times they do a fantastic job. Everyone makes mistakes. Overall they do a great job and we have to focus on ourselves. The players, like us, make mistakes too. I don't want to look at others – This is the best we can do. The referees are under a lot of pressure and it's not fair.
Who will be in goal on Tuesday?
We will definitely rest Joan Garcia, but we haven't decided who will replace him yet. We will see tomorrow. First of all, we want to talk to the players and tell them before the game who will play.
What is Marc-Andre ter Stegen's role?
He competes on equal terms. He is a fantastic goalkeeper. We have three excellent players in that position and I am very happy. It is clear what I have said before - Joan Garcia is number one. Ter Stegen played a fantastic last season and for me he is a very important player.
Would you understand if he wanted to stay?
It is his decision. We have spoken about his situation and I respect him. Marc-Andre is a fantastic goalkeeper, a very good player and also a great person.
Will there be other rotations?
That will also be decided tomorrow, of course, it is possible. For Lewandowski – we will see how he feels tomorrow. We will make some changes, but we want to win, that is the most important thing.
If Lewandowski does not play, what options will you try for the No. 9 position?
We always consider it. There are several players who can play there – Fermin Lopez, Marcus Rashford…
And Marc Casado as a full-back?
I think he is a midfielder.