Barcelona is expected to reach the top, Flick advises not to look too far ahead

Barcelona will soon face Rayo Vallecano at home in the 24th round of La Liga. If Barcelona wins the game, they can reach the top, but coach Hansi Flick advises not to look too far ahead.

Real Madrid, who are in first place in the La Liga standings, and Atletico Madrid, who are in second place, both ended in a draw, which makes Barcelona's hope of reaching the top again more realistic. Barcelona currently has 48 points and ranks third. If they win the game and get 3 points, they will have the same points as Real Madrid.

However, Barcelona has a higher goal difference, so it will naturally replace Real Madrid at the top of the list. However, this is not an easy task, because Rayo Vallecano has been in good form recently, winning three consecutive games in the La Liga.

At the pre-match press conference, Flick said about the prospect of reaching the top: "For me, the most important thing is that the team focuses on itself and not looks too far ahead. Reaching the top is important and can boost confidence, but the season is still long."

"We first have to face Rayo Vallecano, play well for 90 minutes and win, which is not easy. Rayo Vallecano performed very well and their coach is amazing. When I first arrived here, someone told me that Rayo Vallecano is a very impactful team, good at pressing and playing very well."

"That's still the case today and that's one of the reasons for their success. They've been very good this season and they will definitely give us a big challenge."

Despite this, Flick is still full of confidence in the team, saying: "I feel that the team is eager to show their strength and their mentality. They love training, progress and enjoy it, which is very good. From the game, we can see that they are getting more and more confident."

“After every game, we show our determination to keep improving. We hope to perform as well as we have so far in 2025. The quality shown in the past few games proves that we have grown as a team.”