Coach Hansi Flick remains composed despite Barcelona’s troubling history against Bayern Munich

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick remains unfazed by the club's recent difficulties when facing Champions League opponents Bayern Munich.

The German giants have beaten Barcelona in each of their last six meetings and the Catalan side have failed to score in the last four of those.

When Flick was coach of Bayern, they thrashed Barcelona 8-2 in the 2020 Champions League quarter-finals.

“The past doesn’t matter, the present is what’s important,” Flick said before the Oct 24 group stage clash against Vincent Kompany’s visiting side.

“Whatever happened in the past we can’t change, we can only influence what happens tomorrow. Of course, we want to try and beat Bayern Munich.”

Kompany, meanwhile, hailed his opposite number’s impact in Bavaria, saying: “There are coaches who have done a lot for Bayern, and Hansi Flick is one of them. Of course, it will be a special match for him and us.”

Barcelona last won the Champions League in 2015 and last reached the semi-finals in 2019.

Flick won a remarkable six titles with the Bundesliga leaders in 2020 and has quickly improved Barcelona after arriving in Spain this summer.

The German has given Raphinha and Lamine Yamal freedom to roam in attack and pushed the team as a whole up the pitch, allowing Robert Lewandowski to spend more time in the area.

The forward is getting more chances than he did for swathes of last season and with his confidence high, he is finishing them off.

Raphinha’s work-rate has proven essential for Barca and Marc Casado is tireless in midfield and proving a revelation after the club failed to sign a pivot in the summer transfer window.

Barca are top of the Spanish league and face their biggest tests of the season this week against Bayern and then at rivals Real Madrid on Oct 26 in La Liga.

“Bayern are a team in good form with a lot of confidence, they’re a top, top team with great players,” said Flick.

“We want to test ourselves against the best – it’s a Champions League game against Bayern Munich, it’s going to be great.

“(I had) a great time there, with great memories, but I’m living a new chapter now at Barca.”

Germany and Bayern icon Lothar Matthaus believes the clash will feature sides with similar philosophies.

He told Sky Deutschland: “I was at Bayern’s 4-0 victory against Stuttgart and saw Barça’s 5-1 win against Sevilla. The approach is the same: a lot of ball possession, early pressing, high ball recovery. Both teams have very high quality and each has an experienced striker like Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane.

“Both teams have had problems recently after losing the ball and getting past the first line of pressing. Bayern’s remaining defence functioned much better against Stuttgart than in previous matches. It will depend on who makes fewer mistakes. A lot of things point to a draw; I hope it’s 2-2 instead of 0-0.

Spanish media have reported La Liga want to play Barcelona’s December match against Atletico Madrid in Miami, but Flick would not be drawn on the idea.

“As somebody that doesn’t live in the past or the future, that is too far in the future,” he said.

“I don’t know how these things get decided, but the focus right now is on Bayern, I’m very sorry.” AFP