Barça has emerged as the main winner of the Champions League knockout stage draw. Instead of facing PSG, they ended up having Benfica as their opponent in the round of 16, also falling into the weaker side of the bracket. If they win, their next opponent will be the winner between Borussia Dortmund or Lille.
This means that, to reach the Champions League semifinals, Barça 'simply' would have to defeat Benfica and Dortmund/Lille, which is a real bargain. Inside the locker room, they describe it as an easy draw, one of the easiest in recent years. They don't underestimate the Lisbon team, but they believe they are the best club "by far" in that part of the bracket.
They don't want excuses and consider that "we have to reach the semifinals at least". This is the message that has been 'leaked' from Barça's locker room after the Champions League draw. The current form is very good, and the final bracket has resulted in matchups that should be easy to overcome.
If they reach the desired semifinals, things could indeed get more complicated for Barça. In the lower part of the bracket, Bayern, Leverkusen, Feyenoord, and Inter will face each other. However, Hansi Flick's team sees themselves as far superior to the other clubs, always respecting their level and quality.
Barça Happy with the Champions League Draw
The reality is that the final Champions League bracket has turned out to be very positive for Barça. They could have fallen into a much worse zone, but the reality is that it is really 'easy' for them to reach semifinals that slipped away last season.
In any case, although the morale in the locker room is very high, Hansi Flick doesn't want them to lose their heads, emphasizing that Benfica will be a tough opponent.
Speaking publicly about this matchup, Flick has been clear. "I think it's a tough match, Benfica plays very well. They are strong, and lately, we see that they know their opponents very well. It's not easy to face them. I don't think they are, at all, an easy opponent", he pointed out.
One possibility is a Clásico in the Champions League final, something that Hansi himself hasn't ruled out. "First, we have to reach the final. It's the goal, and there's a long way to go. First, we have to face Benfica, which is a good team".