'It's a Great Honour': Hansi Flick Nears Barcelona Milestone as He Targets Another Century of Matches

Hansi Flick is set to reach a significant personal milestone as he prepares to take charge of his 100th game for FC Barcelona in all competitions this Saturday, when the Blaugrana face Villarreal in LaLiga. The 61-year-old German coach, who succeeded Xavi in May 2024, became only the third German to manage the club, following Hennes Weisweiler and Udo Lattek.

Flick's tenure has been a resounding success so far, with Barcelona securing the LaLiga title, Supercopa de Espana, and Copa del Rey during the 2024-25 season. Out of his 99 matches in charge, he has notched 74 wins, 9 draws, and 16 losses. A victory against Villarreal would place him second in the club's history for most wins after 100 games, trailing only Luis Enrique's 80 victories.

Reflecting on the achievement, Flick shared his enthusiasm with reporters: "It's a great honour to achieve this number of matches. It was a dream to coach here, and I enjoy myself every day, with the players, the fans." He added optimistically, "Why not be here for another 100 games? I enjoy every day here. The weather is fantastic. I love my job. It's an honour. And everyone should be proud of the team."

Focus on the Villarreal Challenge

Despite the celebrations, Flick is bracing for a formidable opponent in Villarreal, who trail Barcelona by 10 points in the LaLiga standings and are pushing for Champions League qualification next season. Villarreal's manager, Marcelino, has a mixed record against Barcelona, winning two of his last four league encounters (with two losses), a marked improvement from his earlier 20 games without a win (7 draws, 13 losses). His overall win rate against the Blaugrana stands at a low 8.3% across 24 matches.

Barcelona, fresh off reclaiming the top spot with a 3-0 victory over Levante last weekend—while rivals Real Madrid suffered a surprise defeat to Osasuna—remain favorites. Flick emphasized focus: "If you are winning, it is one game less. For me, the important thing is that we do our job." He recalled their previous narrow win at Villarreal as "lucky" and urged his team to avoid errors: "We must not make unnecessary mistakes and play our style. We can improve, and we have to do it. We have to win, win, and win."

Champions League Draw and Beyond

The conversation also touched on Barcelona's upcoming Champions League last-16 tie against Newcastle United, a rematch from their earlier 2-1 league-phase win at St. James' Park, where Marcus Rashford's brace proved decisive. The draw occurs on Friday, and Flick dismissed any relief at avoiding other powerhouses like PSG: "All games are important. I don't celebrate not facing PSG, you have to respect the opponent."

He stressed the competition's intensity: "Everyone wants to reach the final and Newcastle also want to win the Champions League. All opponents are difficult. It won't be easy. You have to play at the highest level. Playing against Atletico or Tottenham if we pass is also very difficult. It's fantastic to have this opportunity, but we strictly respect all our rivals."

Key Players to Watch

For Barcelona, all eyes will be on Robert Lewandowski, who has scored just once in his last six LaLiga outings. The Polish striker was a terror against Villarreal early in his Barcelona stint, contributing to seven goals in his first five league games versus them (five goals, two assists), including two braces. However, he has been quiet in his most recent two meetings, failing to score or assist.

Villarreal's Ayoze Perez poses a threat, having netted in two of his three LaLiga appearances against Barcelona since joining the club. The Spaniard scored at Estadio de la Ceramica in September 2024 and at the Olimpic Lluis Companys in May 2025, and he'll aim to extend his scoring streak.

Match Prediction and Stats

Opta's supercomputer gives Barcelona a 68.4% chance of victory, with a 17.4% draw probability and 14.2% for Villarreal. Despite Barcelona's recent home dominance—Flick has overseen 12 straight LaLiga wins at Camp Nou, tying Luis Enrique and matching the 21st-century best—they face a Villarreal side that has won their last two away league games against the Blaugrana. Should Villarreal triumph again, they would join Espanyol (1942) and Real Madrid (1965) as only the third team to secure three consecutive away wins over Barcelona in LaLiga history.

Barcelona have lost two of their last four league matches to Villarreal (winning two), a stark contrast to their previous 29 encounters (22 wins, 6 draws, 1 loss). At home, they've dropped three of the last four to Marcelino's men since 2021-22. Villarreal, with 51 points from 25 games (16 wins, 3 draws, 6 losses), are in strong form; historically, teams reaching this tally at this stage finish in the top four.

Prediction: Barcelona win.