German coach Hansi Flick, manager of Spanish club Barcelona, hopes his team will show improvement when they face Portuguese side Benfica in the UEFA Champions League tomorrow, Tuesday, following a string of poor results.
The Catalan giants have won just once in their last eight matches, falling behind in the La Liga title race to leaders Real Madrid and second-place Atlético Madrid. However, they continue to excel in the continental competition.
Barcelona also defeated Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final and overcame Real Betis in the Round of 16 of the domestic cup, giving Flick hope that his players have regained their form despite a disappointing 1-1 draw with Getafe in the league on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Flick said, "When you look at La Liga and the results, they are not 100 percent good. There’s nothing to hide; this is not what we want."
He added, "But when I see how we played after the (winter) break, it was really good. So, I hope to see my team play a different style of football tomorrow (Tuesday)."
Flick also praised Benfica, saying, "I think Benfica, as a team, always loves to play football. They are really amazing with the ball. And (Argentine) Ángel Di María is one of my favorite players. He’s performing very well, even at this age."
Meanwhile, Benfica coach Bruno Lage considers Barcelona among the favorites to win the tournament, something the Catalan club last achieved 10 years ago.
"Of course (they are among the favorites to win) because of what they are doing and because they are a historic team with great quality," Lage explained.
He continued, "Barcelona loves to dominate possession, but you can also see the coach's influence—they play a more vertical style of football, with more pressing."