Hansi Flick has raised a few eyebrows after naming his Barcelona starting XI to face Olympiacos in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The German coach is without several key players due to injury, including Gavi, Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo, Joan Garcia and Raphinha, but has also decided to rest Frenkie de Jong.
The Dutchman has been named on the bench for the match, with Pedri and Marc Casado set to feature in midfield against the Greek side.
Flick explained his decision ahead of kick-off:
“There are
no easy matches in the Champions League. You have to play at your highest level,” he said. “Frenkie normally plays with a lot of intensity, like against Girona, and we have to take care of him. That’s why he’s on the bench.”
Flick also reiterated his call for his players to improve their positioning and pressing for the match.
“We need to improve certain aspects of positioning, pressure…sometimes it’s just a matter of three or four meters,” he added. “We’re prepared to play against a team that comes to put pressure on us.”
