The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League will see its fifth round of matches, with La Liga champions Barcelona traveling to Stamford Bridge to challenge Premier League giants Chelsea. Flick stated that Chelsea are one of the best teams in the world, but also said his team will enter the match with confidence.

In the earlier La Liga match, Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 4-0 after goals from Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Fermín, successfully building momentum for their Champions League campaign.

Chelsea, meanwhile, had boosted their confidence with a 2-1 victory over Burnley in the earlier Premier League match.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said, "Chelsea is one of the best teams in the world, and the development and changes at this club are amazing. They have very good young players and a great manager. I really admire what they are doing; although it is a young team, the players are exceptionally talented."

“Chelsea are very proactive when they have possession, and so are we. They like to press high, and so do we, and both teams want to control the ball. For us, it will be a very exciting game. After all, it's the Champions League, and no game is easy, but we are full of confidence and will give our all as always.”

In the standings, Barcelona is currently in 11th place with 7 points, tied with Chelsea in 12th place.

Speaking about Rashford's performance, Flick said, "I'm very happy that he's playing for Barcelona. I've been following him closely, and I'm impressed by his ability and his performance in the penalty area, which he's now showing at Barcelona."

"The new football environment and changes have been good for him, and the weather in Barcelona is also great. For me, it's great to see him keep smiling, and the atmosphere we have is also very helpful for his performance."

In addition, Barcelona striker Rafinha, who had previously been injured, returned to the field from the bench in the match against Athletic Bilbao.

Flick stated, "Rafinha needs to be brought back step by step; his return is the most important thing. As for how long he will play, we will make a decision later. He has suffered the same injury twice, so we will be very cautious."

“I’m very happy he’s back because we saw a noticeable difference after he came on in the last game. He brought speed and created space, and I’m really happy to see him in the team.”