Hansi Flick: 'It will be a difficult tie'

Another LaLiga match is just around the corner, but today saw the Champions League draw to decide the route to the final in Munich on 31 May. Barça are to face Benfica in the last 16 and then Dortmund or Lille in a potential quarterfinal. However, next up for the blaugranes is a very important league match against Las Palmas that could help them remain in first place and continue the current rich vein of form.

Hansi Flick addressed the press in the run up to the match and commented on the draw, stating "Benfica is a difficult opponent because they play very well. They caused us a lot of problems in the league phase match." Ultimately, the German coach acknowledged that regardless of the opponent, the aim is "to reach the final".

Moving on to the LaLiga matchday 25 fixture, Flick is aware that Las Palmas are a tough opponent. In fact, the Canary Islanders managed to win at the Estadi Olímpic during the first round of fixtures. The coach emphasised that the three points can be earned by the team " showing its strength, as it is a vital game for staying at the top".

Regarding rotating to share out the minutes, with a month with many matches ahead, the German coach preferred not to give anything away, stating "we have to consider we have a game against Atlético next week, but this Saturday's game is most important now. We will train this afternoon and then we'll decide what to do".

Lastly, Flick said a few words about Kirian Rodríguez, stating "he is going through a tough situation. We wish him all the best". The Las Palmas player confirmed on 6 February that his Hodgkin lymphoma had relapsed, which had already caused him to sit out the 22/23 season.