FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick will make three changes to his team when it faces Benfica in a Champions League last 16 first leg on Wednesday.

At a prematch press conference on Tuesday night, Flick was asked if this match will be similar to another played in January at the same ground - the Estadio da Luz - when Barca trailed twice yet came back from behind to win 5-4.

“I think we’ll play with our ideas,” Flick said. “We’ll see what happens, hopefully we'll be better on the counterattacks and stop their dynamic in the first half. It will be a tough match and we will try to improve.”

The January meeting was of course a league phase fixture, and Flick said that “it must be taken into account that there is a return” leg.

“We must play with confidence, we have to improve on what we did here. Not just defensively,” he stressed.

Back then, Barca had squandered a six-point lead earned by beating Real Madrid 4-0 in El Clasico, to then trail both clubs from the Spanish capital by the same margin in La Liga.

Improved results while Los Blancos have slipped up mean that Barca now leads the pack by a single point, though, and spirits are higher after beating Real Sociedad similarly 4-0 in Montjuic on Sunday.

Flick rotated a trio of players for that tie, and will reintroduce those that were rested in Lisbon.

This means that while Wojciech Szczesny starts in goal as always, Alejandro Balde returns to the back line as does Inigo Martinez.

They replace Gerard Martin and Ronald Araujo respectively, with Marc Casado sent to the bench.

That’s because Frenkie de Jong reclaims his place from the La Masia graduate, to partner Pedri in a double pivot.

And while Gavi was a welcomed addition to the squad list, he’s not fit enough to challenge Dani Olmo for a starting CAM berth.

Asked about the differences between playing with Gavi or Olmo, Flick said that he sees the former “in a different position, as a ‘10’”.

“He gives us pressure, dynamism. He is very positive. He also knows how to play with the ball. He comes from a major injury and we have to be careful. We have matches every three-four days. Olmo likes to play as a 10, he can score and create chances,” the German added.

Up top, it is the same front line of Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal.

Szczesny; Balde, Inigo, Cubarsi, Kounde; Pedri, De Jong; Raphinha, Olmo, Lamine; Lewandowski