Madrid: Needing a win and several goals to earn an automatic spot in the top eight of the Champions League, coach Hansi Flick knows Barcelona will have to be at their best against Copenhagen on Wednesday.
Barcelona sit ninth ahead of the final round of matches in the league phase, with the same 13 points as seven other teams, including eighth-place Chelsea, seventh-place Newcastle and sixth-place Paris Saint-Germain.
“We are only focusing on ourselves and on what is in our hands,” Flick said Tuesday. “That’s a good way to approach it. It will be a tough match against Copenhagen, who also have a lot at stake. We should never make excuses. That’s our philosophy . . . we have confidence in our style, in how we play, and this is the Champions League. We’ll have to show our best level.”
Goal difference is likely to be decisive for the teams that end up tied on points. The top eight automatically qualify for the round of 16, while those from ninth to 24th have to play an extra playoff round.
“We have to take it step by step,” Flick said. “We have to play this match respecting Copenhagen because they have a fantastic team. We’ll need to defend very well, try to keep a clean sheet and score goals to win.
“We’re very confident and I hope we can win to qualify for the next round. The most important thing is to do a good job and play at our highest level.”
Barcelona have 26 goals in its last 27 Champions League matches, and none of their last 42 European games have ended scoreless. agencies