Barcelona have been tasked by Hansi Flick to indicate they will cope with the spending energy of “one of the best league on the planet” once they face Newcastle United on Tuesday.
The LaLiga leaders make the journey to St. James’ for the primary leg of their Champions League final 16 tie, with this the second assembly between the 2 sides in Europe this season.
Marcus Rashford was on the right track twice in a 2-1 win over Eddie Howe’s facet as Barcelona made a profitable begin to their league section marketing campaign, the place they ended up ending fifth.
Barcelona have confronted English opposition 33 occasions within the knockout phases of the Champions League, profitable 10 of their final 12 matches since 2014, with the Magpies standing between them and a spot within the final eight of UEFA’s flagship competitors.
Newcastle are, nevertheless, one in all six Premier League sides to make it to the final 16, with Liverpool, Manchester Metropolis, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal additionally progressing.
And whereas Flick acknowledged the menace Newcastle possess, he was assured that Barcelona, who final lifted the trophy in 2015, have the standard to greater than compete.
“The Premier League is a good league – for me, it’s one of the best league on the planet and so they have robust groups,” Flick informed reporters.
“In fact, they’ve additionally some huge cash to make the suitable choices hopefully, however they’ve accomplished it as a result of they’re… what number of, six groups now within the subsequent spherical?
“For me, okay, we’re robust, we’ve big high quality additionally, not solely Newcastle or Manchester Metropolis or Arsenal or Tottenham or just like the others.
“We’ve got to proceed our approach, our model, how we need to play. That is our philosophy.
“We need to play like Barca within the Champions League as a result of our supporters are pleased with us and the best way we play soccer, so that is what we need to present additionally tomorrow.”
We’re again to St. James’s Park pic.twitter.com/ImalNHuQQH
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 9, 2026
Newcastle are on their longest ever unbeaten run within the Champions League (5 video games – W3 D2), however they’ve struggled for consistency within the Premier League in 2025-26.
Howe’s males are twelfth within the prime flight and 9 factors adrift of the highest 4, although Flick was conscious that they’ve largely saved their finest for the European video games.
“The Champions League is completely different. Everybody who performs now at this stage desires to indicate their finest,” Flick added.
“They’re a crew which on transition, they’ve very quick gamers and excellent gamers, excellent gamers, and we’ve to deal with that and handle it.”
Flick’s feedback got here amid a row between membership president Joan Laporta and Flick’s predecessor Xavi and in opposition to the backdrop of subsequent week’s presidential election.
The German was, nevertheless, focusing solely on his crew’s upcoming conflict with Newcastle, which is their sixth assembly within the Champions League.
“It’s one of the crucial necessary weeks within the season now as a result of we need to go to the following spherical. We’ve got a sport right here, and we’ve to concentrate on the sport,” Flick mentioned.
“What I can say is every thing right here in Barcelona is nice. I’m right here one-and-a-half years, and I’m having fun with each single day working with this improbable crew, with these improbable gamers, with this employees round.
“Now we’re constructing this membership additionally for the longer term. That is what we need to do. When I’ve gone, possibly the following coach can say, ‘Okay, Hansi did a improbable job, I’ve good infrastructure’. That is what we’re doing now.
“Everybody provides every thing for this membership. That is what I need to say nothing else.”
