Raphinha's now gone six games without a goal for Barcelona, a rare dought for the 29-year-old, but he's not the only one struggling to find the back of the net. Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres are both finding goals hard to come by which will be a worry for Flick as we head into the business end of the season.
The president began negotiating the contract with Leo's father, and we had the green light from La Liga, but it was the president who threw it all away. Laporta told me, word for word, that if Leo came back, he would wage war on him and that he couldn't allow that to happen.
Barcelona has called up the following 22 players for Tuesday's clash: Goalkeepers: 13. Joan Garcia, 25. Wojciech Szczesny, 31. Diego Kochen; Defenders: 2. João Cancelo, 4. Ronald Araujo, 5. Pau Cubarsí, 18. Gerard Martín, 24. Eric Garcia, 36. Álvaro Cortés, 42. Xavi Espart; Midfielders: 8. Pedri, 16. Fermín López, 17. Marc Casadó, 20. Dani Olmo, 22. Marc Bernal, 43. Tommy Marqués; Forwards: 7. Ferran Torres, 9. Robert Lewandowski, 10. Lamine Yamal, 11. Raphinha, 14. Marcus Rashford, 19. Roony Bardghji.
We are approaching the match with the necessary caution that a Champions League game requires. Hansi Flick is enjoying his daily work, and this approach to the routine is transmitted to the team and the staff, balancing caution and optimism, which allows everyone to have the necessary elements to face the tie with confidence.
The role of a goalkeeper can sometimes be very up and down. But [Pope] has to see the longer-term vision: simply be at his very best; forget about team selection. The message to Pope was: find the sharpness that made you one of England's more reliable keepers, or you may not start.
I've improved a lot since Hansi arrived. I think he's helped me develop many aspects of my game. And I think I'm having a good season with him. He's a very demanding coach, but also very approachable. He's helped me with decision-making and also with scoring goals, always staying focused during the game, and also in defence. I think he's helped me in almost every aspect as a player.
He's a very talented player and a prolific goalscorer. As a token of my appreciation, I'd offer him another year on his contract. He came at a very difficult time, and despite his track record at Bayern, he pushed hard to come to Barcelona. He gave up a lot.
I already said after the 4-0 against Atlético that we would learn from our mistakes, we are a young squad and we have understood that. We're approaching it with great enthusiasm, knowing there will be a second leg, but we're sure they'll come out with everything.
Leo was signed. In January 2023, after winning the World Cup, we got in touch, and he told me he was excited about coming back, and I saw it. We talked until March, and I told him, 'Okay, when you give me the OK, I'll tell the president because I see it as a good move from a footballing perspective.'
According to Xavi, the president told him directly that if Messi returned, the player would 'wage war against him' and that he could not allow such a situation. Messi's entourage stands by Xavi's version, with journalist Sique Rodriguez confirming that people close to the Argentine validated that Laporta halted the transfer when it was already agreed.
Frenkie de Jong will be out for approximately six weeks. Sometimes I think it might be good for someone to be out for six weeks so that they get less tired. Even so, we have to wait for him to regain his fitness once he returns.
