Barcelona head into Wednesday’s monster Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund needing another strong performance from Iñaki Peña, who had a brilliant afternoon and was the sole reason why Barça didn’t lose to Real Betis at the weekend.
The goalkeeper has proven himself since replacing Marc-André ter Stegen and has left free agent signing Wojciech Szczesny sitting on the bench despite the overwhleming expectation that Peña would be the backup once again.
Now he gets to play one of the biggest games of his career in front of the famous Yellow Wall, and he wants to play his part in helping Barça return to the form that saw them destroy Bayern Munich and Real Madrid earlier this season.
Peña revealed the advice coach Hansi Flick has given his team in order to be at their best once again, and Iñaki also talked about the adjustment he and the entire squad has made in order to adapt to Flick’s high-risk defensive style with its infamous offside trap.
“The manager told us that we have to go back to what made us unstoppable. On a personal level, regarding tomorrow’s game, we are clear about what we have to do and what we don’t. We have to give 100%, control the game and be decisive in the penalty areas.
“Barça have always had the idea of defending in the opponent’s half. We were a little shocked by the exaggerated idea that he had. It was a process that we had to integrate in pre-season. It’s not just something for the goalkeeper and the defense, but also for the midfielders and forwards, who have to press high up in such a risky methodology. On a personal level, the further the ball is from your goal, the better, it’s something that little by little you become convinced is better for you.”
Dortmund have been nearly unstoppable at home this season and have created a ton of chances and scored a lot of goals, so Peña knows he’ll have a very busy night. If he can have a great 90 minutes between the sticks and as a sweeper and gets help from his teammates, Barça will have a chance to escape Signal Iduna Park with a huge win.