Flick: "Bernal has done great work and Brian connects well with Lamine"

Flick starts Marc Bernal over Frenkie de Jong and praises his midfield's connection with Lamine Yamal ahead of the Atlético Madrid clash.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has named an unchanged starting XI for tonight's La Liga match at Atlético Madrid, with the only enforced absence being Rodri due to injury. Flick opted to start Marc Bernal in midfield ahead of Frenkie de Jong, a decision he justified in his pre-match comments.

"Marc Bernal has done great work," Flick said. "Brian has played well and is in good form. He connects well with Lamine and we need to manage Eric's minutes." The manager acknowledged the challenge posed by Atlético, who eliminated Barcelona from both the Copa del Rey and Champions League last season.

"We know the history and the type of matches against Atlético. It will be difficult from the first minute. The most important thing is that we show our quality and our strengths," Flick added.