“Yes, we can, yes, we can”. With that cry, Barcelona were sent off at the Spotify Camp Nou on Saturday night after beating Espanyol in the derby of the 31st LaLiga matchday. That phrase has not only permeated the dressing room, but also sums up their feelings and the mentality with which Hansi Flick’s side will face Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano. They all believe and trust that they can come back in the Champions League. They are confident that they can do it. No one is giving up or giving in.
With the utmost respect and humility, but also with sky-high confidence, Barcelona face the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final. The 2-0 defeat at the Spotify Camp Nou forces them to make a comeback at one of the most difficult grounds in LaLiga and in the continental tournament (their record in the 23 games they have played at home this season is 19 wins, one draw and three defeats, the last against Barcelona in the regular domestic tournament), but Flick’s side are convinced that they can turn the score around. They are aware of the difficulty of the tie due to the quality of their opponents, but they cling to their skills and winning mentality to keep their belief strong.
The wardrobe, a pineapple
The German coach and the players have come together. The dressing room is united and full of ambition: the feat at the Metropolitano is possible. But the players understand that the level of demand and commitment they must show on Tuesday must be superlative for that ‘yes, we can’, an unusual harangue in the Bara dressing room, which the Catalans brandish as a mantra to become a reality. Intensity, concentration, ambition, sacrifice, solidarity, pressure, help, cold blood… will be essential and non-negotiable throughout the match if they want to be in the semi-finals of the Champions League. They know it. They have talked about it in the dressing room, and these are guidelines that they will continue to work on in the meetings and talks they will have in the coming hours. They assume that the quality they possess without effort and suffering will not be enough, and they are more than willing to live up to expectations. They promise to give their all.
The atmosphere in the dressing room is, therefore, one of maximum confidence. It is also the message that the team has not only received from the fans, as was made clear after the victory in the derby, but also from the entire board. ‘Yes, we can’ is already the current war cry of the squad.
We don’t need a miracle, we need to play a good game, and we can do that
“We don’t need a miracle, we need to play a good game, and we can do that. Anything is possible. Atletico are fantastic, but we have a good team and we are capable of coming back. We want to go through,” Flick said in a press conference after the derby. It is the same message that he has expressed in the dressing room, and it has resonated.
Winning the Champions League is the main objective of the season and everything depends on completing the comeback on Tuesday. The players understand that it is a match in which they must give everything. They have already said goodbye to the Copa del Rey, and they do not want to say goodbye now, and with the same opponent, to the European tournament. The Supercopa de Espana and LaLiga, which they lead with authority, are not enough. They want to reign again in Europe. Not only are they not giving up, but they believe they can achieve it. It depends on them.