MADRID (Reuters) – Barcelona have started the LaLiga season well with two consecutive win despite missing several key players, raising expectations around the prospects of new manager Hansi Flick.
Top of LaLiga alongside Celta Vigo on six points, Barcelona travel to Madrid to face Rayo Vallecano on Tuesday, who are unbeaten after shocking Real Sociedad 2-1 and holding Getafe to a hard-fought goalless draw on Saturday.
“The goal in Barcelona should always be to win the league,” Flick told a press conference on Monday.
“Sure, it’s a long road, but we have started well, although everything can change quickly. Now we are happy about our start and we are confident. We are not looking ahead to May, our focus is to keep momentum in the next game.
“We are very satisfied with what the team is doing on the pitch. The quality of the training sessions is good, the players are very focused, the intensity is good… and you can see that in the matches.”
Rayo will rely on their raucous Vallecas Stadium to help stopping in-form Barcelona who beat convincingly beat tough opponents in Valencia and Athletic Bilbao to ease the pressure surrounding a club in turmoil on and off the pitch.
TROPHYLESS SEASON
Following a trophyless last campaign which ended with the controversial firing of manager Xavi Hernandez, Barcelona signed former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Flick to help them regain the LaLiga title from Real Madrid.
Flick took over a club with deepening financial issues, desperately trying to reduce their first-team wage bill so they can comply with LaLiga’s financial controls so they are allowed to register new signings like Spain international Dani Olmo.
They let German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan leave as a free agent after only one season since signing him from Manchester City and on Monday announced the departure of French defender Clement Lenglet — to Atletico Madrid — and Brazilian forward Vitor Roque — to Real Betis — both on season-long loans with no transfer fees just to clear their salaries.
Flick is hoping that will enable them to register the versatile Olmo, who was central to Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, finishing as one the tournament’s top scorers with three goals and one of six Spain players in UEFA’s team of the tournament.
“I’m hopeful I can finally can count on him tomorrow,” Flick said.
“I also hoped for him in the last game, but things are the way they are. It would be fantastic, but we’ll see what happens. It’s something we can’t control, neither the player nor the team, nor the coach… we know it’s a difficult circumstance.
“I’ve spoken to him, it’s a difficult situation. Of course he is not happy, but he knows the circumstances. He is fit and ready to play if the call comes…”
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas, editing by Ed Osmond)
