Flick refutes comparisons between Barca downturn and sour end with Bayern

Hansi Flick does not believe Barcelona's recent downturn is echoing the way his Bayern Munich reign unravelled, insisting injuries to key players are affecting the Blaugrana.

Barca won LaLiga, the Supercopa de Espana and the Copa del Rey in Flick's first campaign at the helm in 2024-25, but his second season has not gone entirely to plan.

Flick's side are already five points behind Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga, having lost the first Clasico of the season by a 2-1 scoreline.

They were also thumped 4-1 at Sevilla in early October, while Wednesday's 3-3 Champions League draw with Club Brugge was another underwhelming result.

Flick also won a treble in his first season as Bayern boss in 2019-20 – lifting the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League trophies. 

His second season brought another Bundesliga title, but Bayern fell short in the cup and in Europe before Flick quit to take the Germany job, leaving under something of a cloud. 

Looking ahead to Sunday's trip to Celta Vigo, who are 13th in the table, Flick said: "Last season, we played at a different level. 

"We've already talked about the game against Brugge and everyone knows exactly what we want to see on the pitch. What the players have to do, is show it."

Asked if he saw any similarities with his time in Bavaria, Flick said: "I don't want to talk about Bayern. We won the Bundesliga also in my second year there. 

"It's not an excuse, it's a fact that we have a lot of injured players and many of them are key players. That is very important. We will manage it as best we can. 

"In LaLiga, we are five behind Madrid, but we are still second. There is a long way to go until May."

Gavi, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Joan Garcia and Raphinha are among the players on Barca's injury list, while teenage superstar Lamine Yamal has battled a groin issue for much of the season.

Yamal has been named in Spain's squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers versus Georgia and Turkiye, and despite the winger being injured while on international duty in September, Flick trusts La Roja's staff to protect him.

"I only ask the same as when he plays here – that he is taken care of," Flick said.

"He is still not 100%, he still has some discomfort, and we have to take care of him. Not only here, but also in the national team."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Celta Vigo – Iago Aspas

Aspas has scored 11 goals in 21 matches against Barcelona in LaLiga, making him the player with the most goals against the Blaugrana in the competition in the 21st century.

Barcelona – Robert Lewandowski 

Lewandowski has scored five goals in six matches against Celta in LaLiga.

Only against Valencia (nine) and Alaves (seven) has he scored more goals in the competition (also five against Real Sociedad, Sevilla and Villarreal).

MATCH PREDICTION: BARCELONA WIN

Celta have not won any of their last four LaLiga matches against Barcelona (D1 L3). This is their longest winless run against the Blaugrana in the competition since March 2014 (eight matches – D1 L7).

However, since the start of 2015-16, Barca have lost four of their 10 away games against Celta in LaLiga (W2 D4). They have not suffered more defeats at any other away stadium in the competition over this period (also four at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu).

Flick's side are favourites for an away win on Sunday, though they may not have things all their own way.

Celta have lost just two of their 11 games in LaLiga this season (W2 D7), their fewest defeats at this stage of a top-flight campaign since 2015-16 (W6 D3 L2), when they finished sixth.

Interestingly, this match sees the team that has hit the post the most times in LaLiga this season (Barcelona, 10) face one of the two sides that have not yet done so this season (Celta, also Mallorca). The last time the Galicians hit the woodwork in LaLiga was when Ilaix Moriba did so in April 2025 against Villarreal.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Celta Vigo – 24.1%

Barcelona – 53.1%

Draw – 22.8%