Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised his team’s defensive performance on Monday, claiming it is now on “another level” following a recent string of strong results.

The Catalans have won three consecutive matches since a 3-0 Champions League defeat to Chelsea in late November. Barca now turn their attention to Tuesday’s European clash against Eintracht Frankfurt, as they aim to secure a top-eight finish in the league stage.

With several key players returning from injury last week, Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 and Real Betis 5-3.

“Everyone knows what happened over the last three months — a lot of injuries, very important players out. In recent weeks, we had to manage player minutes and workload,” Flick said at a news conference.

Although Barca conceded three goals against Betis, Flick defended his team’s use of a high defensive line, explaining that fatigue contributed to the late goals.

“In the last 10 minutes, they were exhausted. The back line is doing really well, we’re pressing the ball and staying connected. That’s what we need. The line is playing at another level than maybe one month, five weeks ago.”

Barcelona’s win over Betis left them four points clear at the top of La Liga, but the focus quickly shifts to Frankfurt. The German side famously eliminated Barcelona from the 2022 Europa League in a humiliating defeat at Camp Nou, prompting the club to restrict ticket access for this year’s fixture to prevent a repeat scenario.

“For everyone, it was a dream to come back and play at Camp Nou,” Flick said.
“It’s an important Champions League match. We have to win, we want three points, and we want to show our best level.”

Flick also addressed goalkeeper options, noting that Marc-André ter Stegen could return from injury, though Joan Garcia remains “number one” for now.

Frankfurt arrive after a 6-0 defeat to RB Leipzig, sitting seventh in the Bundesliga — ten places below Barcelona in the group stage table. Their playmaker Mario Götze, who worked with Flick in the Germany national team, praised the Barca coach’s “very attacking brand” of football and dismissed any lingering memories of the 2022 Camp Nou victory.

“Every match is new and starts from scratch,” said Götze. “You can hardly draw conclusions from the past — it was a unique experience, and we want to live our own experience.”