Hansi Flick responded to questions about Barcelona's ability to show up on the big occasions, saying: "I believe in my team, I am 100% convinced of it, and of the idea of the way we want to play football."
The intensity simply wasn't there at the start against Atletico Madrid, Flick admitted. Atletico won the one-on-one duels and the individual battles, and that handed the hosts the advantage in the opening minutes.
He said: "For me, it is about the intensity we have on the pitch, and that was not there at the start. You had the feeling that Atletico were more involved in the game, and more present in player-versus-player situations and in the one-on-one duels, while we were not."
Barcelona's fightback and that equaliser before the break changed everything, he added. His side took control after half-time and finally produced the performance he had been chasing.
Flick called the win over Atletico hugely important. His team fell short of the expected level in the first half, then improved sharply after the interval and controlled the flow of the game, making the victory deserved in his eyes.
On Frenkie de Jong's deployment at right-back, the German revealed the player had shown his willingness to fill the role if the team needed him, following a conversation between the pair before the previous match.
The plan was for De Jong to play 50 minutes on the right, Flick explained, with a substitution lined up once Bernie began to tire. Everything went to plan, and he believes the decision was the correct one.
Barcelona will keep working to his philosophy, Flick insisted, trusting the quality of his players and their ability to execute the style he wants to build. It was a clear message of commitment to his project, despite the criticism that followed the defeats to Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.