Hansi Flick praised Barcelona’s mentality after their thrilling 5-4 comeback win against Benfica in the Champions League. Despite a shaky first-half performance and mistakes from goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, Barcelona’s second-half resurgence secured their place in the knockout stages. Flick emphasized the importance of improvement and focus on upcoming games.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick praised his team's mentality following their dramatic 5-4 win against Benfica on January 21, 2025, which secured their spot in the Champions League last 16. Despite a poor first-half showing, where Benfica's Vangelis Pavlidis scored a hat-trick, Barcelona mounted a stunning second-half comeback.
The Catalan side trailed 3-1 at halftime after sloppy defending led to Benfica’s goals. However, in the second half, they rallied, with Robert Lewandowski, Eric Garcia, and Raphinha finding the net to complete the comeback. Flick highlighted the team’s resilience and mentality as key factors in the victory, describing it as "unbelievable."
Although goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny made some errors leading to two Benfica goals, Flick defended his choice, emphasizing that mistakes were part of the game and that Szczesny's performance improved after halftime.
Flick also stressed the importance of focusing on upcoming challenges, with Barcelona facing Valencia in La Liga and Atalanta in the Champions League. He expressed confidence that the win would boost the team’s belief in their project, giving hope to the younger players.
