FC Barcelona have finally reached the stage of the season where other competitions now come into play. La Liga has been kind to the Catalan giants so far, and Hansi Flick’s team has taken full advantage of their own quality. With a perfect record, Barcelona is showcasing exactly why they are a force to be reckoned with.
Now, however, La Blaugrana will take their chances with the UEFA Champions League as well. With a new format in place, teams will now take on more opponents in the initial group phase of the competition and that includes Barcelona as they prepare themselves for their first match.
In their very first encounter of this season’s Champions League, Barcelona will face a familiar opponent in the form of Adolf Hutter’s Monaco side from Ligue 1. Ahead of the clash, however, it would appear that it is not only Hansi Flick’s team that has kept a good eye on Monaco’s form and prepared well for it.
Even the opposition is well-aware of Barcelona and their strengths under Hansi Flick. Ahead of the game itself, as highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, Monaco captain Denis Zakaria has confessed that he has been following this Barcelona team and he likes what he has seen so far:
“I’ve seen Hansi Flick’s early matches, and I like them a lot. He’s proving to be one of the best coaches. We’ve started Ligue 1 very well, but when you’re up against Barça, being on a good run isn’t enough—you have to do more.”
However, he also stated that his team will not just be focusing on the likes of Lamine Yamal, but will look to counter this Barcelona team as a whole in this upcoming clash:
“Lamine Yamal is impressive; not all players his age are at this level. We’ll try to be ready to counter his attacks and those of his teammates.”
Unlike the previous outing that saw Monaco defeat Barcelona for the Joan Gamper trophy, however, Zakaria believes that this game will be a different test altogether:
“Barça is in great form right now, and we’ll need to be solid defensively to cause them problems. I think the Gamper match was completely different. Despite that 0-3 result, we need to play better and secure the three points. It was just a preparation match, and this is the Champions League.”
However, with just over 24 hours left in the game between the two sides, both sets of fans will be eager to see whose team comes out on top. For Barcelona, this match is a chance to show that they are ready for the challenges of the Champions League and that they are prepared to take on even the best that Europe has to offer.
