As El Clasico approaches, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has delivered a rallying cry, emphasising unity, confidence, and intensity as his team prepares to take on arch-rivals Real Madrid. Speaking in the aftermath of a difficult midweek defeat to Inter, Flick was quick to stress that the mood in the dressing room remains upbeat and focused.

“We’re doing well. After the defeat in Milan, everyone knows it’s not easy, but we’re doing things well. We have talked about what we want to do in these two weeks,” Flick said. “The players have energy. Great work has been done in the last four months, and we want to continue like this.”

The German tactician underlined the importance of the next run of fixtures, identifying them as a crucial test for the progress his side has made since he took charge.

“We have four games and a El Clasico to show how well we can play. We need to show that confidence about what we want to display.”

That confidence, according to Flick, will come from discipline and a strong mentality—qualities that will be vital in a game as emotionally charged and technically demanding as El Clasico.

“We have spoken to the players to find out their feelings, we do it openly. In a game like El Clasico, we have to be at 100%, active, with intensity, dominant.”

Playing at home, Barcelona will look to seize the initiative early and use the support of their fans to full effect. While praising Real Madrid’s quality, Flick made it clear that his team is not intimidated.

“They are a fantastic team, but we are playing at home. At every moment of the game, the fans know what we need.”

Despite the implications of the La Liga standings, Flick stressed that Barcelona’s only focus is winning—nothing else matters when it comes to a clash of this magnitude.

“When you play this type of game, Madrid will also try to win. For us, I’m not worried about the situation in the table, we have to win. That’s our mentality, how we go out from the start.”

As for how the match might unfold, Flick admitted that unpredictability is part of what makes El Clasico so compelling, but he is counting on the energy of the Barca crowd to tip the balance.

“You never know what the game will be like. They are two great teams, and we hope to take advantage of home advantage. Maybe it will be a bit different from the game in Madrid, I hope we leave with the three points.”

Analysing Real Madrid’s tactical approach, Flick pointed out the strengths of Los Blancos—particularly their man-marking and deadly transitions—while hinting that Barcelona are preparing accordingly.

“When we’ve played them, they man-mark us, they’re very good in transition. They have a formidable attacking system.”

This is the final El Clasico of the season, and both teams are coming to war as they seek to restore pride back to their camps.