MADRID (AP) — Barcelona coach Hansi Flick is adopting the “anything is possible” mentality ahead of the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal against Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona hosts Atletico on Tuesday needing to reverse a 4-0 loss from the first leg in Madrid last month.
“We are four goals behind and we have to make the impossible possible," Flick said on Monday. "That is the objective. It’s not easy. However, we will not give up.
"It is important to keep a clean sheet, but we must believe in our strength and that we can achieve it ... you must always believe. In each half we need to score two goals.”
Barcelona was trounced by Atletico in the opening half of the first match and could have conceded even more than the four goals it allowed before halftime.
It was able to even the game a bit after the break but couldn't find a way to score. It loudly complained over a Pau Cubarsí goal early in the second half that was disallowed. The Spanish soccer federation later said the automatic technology to detect offsides didn’t work properly.
“We have to be smart,” Flick said. "We must press them, win the duels and make things difficult for them. We cannot lose possession as they are very dangerous in transitions. We have to play as one.”
Flick will be without experienced forward Robert Lewandowski because of injury. Frenkie de Jong and Gavi also remain sidelined while defender Eric García won't play because he was sent off in the first leg.
“We will have to manage Lewy’s absence," Flick said. "We haven’t had much luck. Losing a player like him, and the others who cannot be there, is a problem but the team handles it well."
Barcelona is coming off a 4-1 win over Villarreal in the Spanish league, when Lamine Yamal scored a hat trick.
The Catalan club is the defending Copa champion. It won the trophy for a record 32nd time by beating Real Madrid in last year’s final.
Atletico, which has won three in a row in all competitions, is trying to return to the Copa final for the first time since it lifted the trophy in 2012-13 for the 10th time.
“We are focused on the match ahead, which will be against a very good, offensive opponent that has great individual players and a collective game that makes them one of the most competitive teams in La Liga and in Europe,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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