Flick praises the team's mentality in Guadalajara and explains Ter Stegen's starting position

FC Barcelona advanced to the Copa del Rey round of 16 thanks to a hard-fought victory against CD Guadalajara (0-2). The team from Castilla-La Mancha made the Catalans fight for the win on their home turf, thanks to a strong performance from goalkeeper Dani Vicente and rigorous defensive work that managed to hold the goalless draw for 76 minutes.

After the match, Hansi Flick expressed his satisfaction with the work done by his players. Although he had to rely on most of the starters in the final stretch, the manager praised the mentality and attitude of his players for maintaining their composure and game plan on a difficult pitch against an opponent completely withdrawn near their goal.

"I am very happy with the attitude of the footballers and the victory. These Cup matches are difficult, but we have been good. The important thing is the attitude and the mentality we have had throughout the entire match," the manager began at the press conference.

Flick reveals the keys to victory in Guadalajara

The goals of the match were scored by Andreas Christensen and Marcus Rashford, both of whom performed well on their return to the lineup. The Dane scored with a header, after a good cross from Frenkie de Jong, while the Englishman did the same with a 'star' finish, leaving the rival goalkeeper behind, taking advantage of a pass from Lamine Yamal.

For Hansi Flick, the key to victory lay in keeping a cool head and confidence in the game plan from start to finish. "These matches are not easy, I said so before. I am happy with the attitude of my players on the field. That is the key that explains our victory. It is not always easy to score in matches like these, but we did it," the German stated.

He also added: "They defended well. It was difficult, and we knew it. **I really appreciate the work the guys have done. Christensen was very good today**. We work to win every game."

Reasons to trust the goal to Ter Stegen

The big news in the lineup in Guadalajara, without a doubt, was the presence of Marc-André ter Stegen in goal. The coach himself assured 'Movistar' before the match that it was a starting position thinking exclusively about Tuesday's game, not for the rest of the tournament.

Wojciech Szczesny had missed the match against Osasuna due to gastroenteritis, while 'Matts' had been a substitute against the 'rojillos' and against Eintracht. "The delay is not good, but the players have to adapt to the circumstances. Ter Stegen's situation is only for this match. He is fit and can show that he is ready today," Flick assured before the start of the match.

In the post-match press conference, he added regarding the '1': "Marc is the captain and has played many games. We spoke with the rest of the coaches and we wanted to give him the opportunity to play".

In his first match with Barça since May 18, Ter Stegen responded with two saves at the beginning and end of the match, on the opponent's only two chances. The German kept a clean sheet, something Barça only achieved on three occasions in the last 18 official matches.