Hansi Flick says Barcelona’s defense is now on a «different level».

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick claimed on Monday that his team’s defense is now on a «different level» after a string of good results.

The Catalans have won three games in a row after a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League at the end of November.

Barça face Eintracht Frankfurt in Europe on Tuesday and are fighting for a place in the top eight in the competition phase.

After several players returned from injury last week, Barca defeated Atletico Madrid 3-1 and Real Betis 5-3.

«Everyone knows what has happened in the last three months, a lot of injuries, very important players out, in the last weeks we have to manage the minutes, the load on each player,» Flick told a news conference.

The coach said that although his team had sent three against Betis, the use of his high defensive system was good and the players were tired in the closing stages, when two of those goals were scored.

“They were exhausted in the last ten minutes,” reasoned Flick, whose team also conceded three against Club Brugge in a 3-3 draw earlier in November.

«I said to them this morning: the (back) line is doing very well, we are getting pressure on the ball, we are connected. This is what we need.»

“And the (high) line, they’re playing it at a different level than maybe a month, five weeks ago.”

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The win over Betis left Barca four points clear at the top of La Liga, with attention turning to the match against Frankfurt.

In 2022, Barcelona were humiliatingly eliminated from the Europa League by the German team, whose fans filled the stands at Camp Nou.

Barcelona limited access to tickets this year as a result, wanting to avoid similar scenes at the reopened stadium.

That defeat was perhaps the club’s lowest point, but it has risen sharply in the years since, reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League last season.

The match against Frankfurt will be the club’s first match in the competition at Camp Nou since October 2022.

“It was a dream for everyone to come back and play at Camp Nou,” said Flick.

«It is also important for the Champions League. It is a very important match for us tomorrow.»

«We have to win, we want to get three points. We want to show our best level.»

The coach said that goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen can return to the team after an injury, but made it clear that Joan Garcia “is the number one”.

Published on December 8, 2025