Flick: Too early to think about treble

MADRID — Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was keen to keep talk of trophies in check after his side booked its spot in the Copa del Rey final against rival Real Madrid with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

Barcelona is on a 21-game unbeaten run across all competitions, and is the only team in Europe's top-five leagues yet to lose in 2025, as it bids for three titles playing some of the best soccer its fans have seen.

But, Flick remained cautious about its chances of winning the treble and urged his players to maintain a next-game mentality, warning that the club has little margin for error.

"I know everyone wants us to talk about the final, it's a 'Clasico', I get that, but I don't live in the past or in the future, and our focus should be Betis, who are our next opponents in La Liga," Flick told a news conference.

"Yes, we are in a great moment, but I've been in this business enough time to know how everything can change in a heartbeat, so we need to keep focused.

"Dreaming is allowed, but first we need to work really hard and stay focused, so we can keep that dream alive."

Barcelona is on top of the La Liga standings with 66 points, three ahead of Real, with third-placed Atletico six further points back in the title race with nine games left.

Real will travel to London to face Arsenal in the Champions League quarterfinals next week, while Barca will host Borussia Dortmund.

The Spanish giants will meet in the Copa del Rey final on April 26 before they clash again in Barcelona on May 11 in a game that could decide the La Liga title.

"Tonight, I'll stick with this formidable win, which made me really happy," Flick said.

"Everyone can be proud of this team, we coaches are proud of this team. I am always positive, so I won't deny that I had great expectations for this team when I arrived last summer.

"I told them that I was very happy, that if we played like we did that day we would win. We were brave and we knew how to suffer. It's not easy to keep a clean sheet in this stadium, Atletico is one of the best teams in Europe. So, we should be really proud."

Ferran Torres scored a first-half winner for the Catalan club.

Madrid eliminated Real Sociedad in extra time on Tuesday, also advancing 5-4 on aggregate. The rivals will meet in the Copa decider for the first time since the 2013-14 season, when Madrid won the title.

"It feels great to win here, and it's even more special that it means we have qualified for the final," Torres said.

"It's always good motivation to be in a final, even more so when it's against a direct rival.

"The match was a war, a final was at stake. We did everything we could, and it was in our hands to get the victory and get that place in the final."

"We just have to face reality as it is," Atletico defender Jose Maria Gimenez said.

"We're far away from the top in La Liga, but we're going to try until the end, and we'll see where we stand in the end to see if the season is good or not.

"We thank our fans from the bottom of our hearts and apologize for those moments when we were not up to the task. Together we are one, and we are stronger. That is how it should always be, and, hopefully, always will be."

Agencies