Flick on the Sevilla four-goal haul: Barcelona are different now, and the Madrid derby does not concern us
The German coach is not afraid of the impact of last season's heavy defeat
Hansi Flick wants Barcelona thinking about one thing only: beating Sevilla on Saturday. The head coach refused to be drawn on the prospect of a seventh straight win or the Madrid derby that follows a day later.
Barcelona head to Sevilla in the seventh round of La Liga chasing another victory to keep their perfect start intact. Attention then swings to Sunday and the derby between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in the same round.
Asked how that derby might shape the Sevilla clash, Flick told a press conference on Friday: "For me, the most important thing is to focus on ourselves. We want to win, and that is the job we have to do in Sevilla."
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"Barcelona are different now"
Reminded of Barcelona's 4-1 defeat at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan last season, Flick insisted his current side is in a completely different place.
"I must first say that I believe we are now at a different level from the one we were at last year," he said, as reported by "AS".
The German coach still flagged the danger his opponents pose, warning that no result is settled before kick-off. "But every match starts at 0-0, and Sevilla, especially on their own ground, deliver very good levels," he added.
Sevilla, Flick explained, rely on a defensive style built around man-marking and direct pressing. That demands Barcelona move the ball quickly and never stop moving.
"Sevilla defend man-to-man, and they will try to press us in these situations," he said. "Therefore, it will be important for us to play with confidence and to bring the ball out to the flanks."
He went on: "It will be important to control the match, and to know how to do that against a team that relies heavily on man-marking. We have to move the ball quickly, especially in our own half, and try to shift it from side to side."
Quick ball circulation, Flick stressed, will be one of Barcelona's keys to beating the hosts' pressure and prising open spaces, in a match where Sevilla are expected to man-mark the Catalans all over the pitch.
