Barcelona suffered their first defeat of the season in the Champions League on Wednesday night as they fell 2-1 to reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain.
The Catalan side initially looked in control after Ferran Torres opened the scoring, but their advantage did not last long.
PSG responded before half-time through Senny Mayulu, and a dramatic late strike from Gonçalo Ramos sealed the victory for the French side, leaving Barcelona empty-handed despite a strong start.
According to reports from Marca, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick did not hold back in his post-match reflections. He admitted that his team deserved to walk away with nothing, stressing that the difference between the first and second halves was glaring.
Flick highlighted that his side had started well but struggled badly after the interval, conceding control as fatigue began to show. “The first half we played much better than the second. We conceded too much because we were tired. PSG are a great team, with very young and fast players, and they played a fantastic game,” he explained.
Flick went further to acknowledge that his side had not reached their usual standard and that against a quality opponent like PSG, that drop in level proved costly.
The German coach expressed his disappointment at the way his players handled the decisive moments of the match. He argued that when the score was level at 1-1, Barcelona needed to show greater intelligence, discipline, and awareness.
Instead, they allowed PSG to break through in transition, exposing gaps in their defensive shape. “When you defend at 1-1, you have to play more intelligently at the end of the game, and this has not happened. In transition, they have punished us.
We need to be more structured and cover all spaces,” Flick remarked. He emphasized that football at the highest level demands concentration for the full 90 minutes, and against opponents like PSG, there is no room for lapses.
Flick also underlined what Barcelona must improve moving forward. He insisted the team has to defend as a unit, attack with energy, and make better use of possession.
He pointed out that PSG gave a clear example of this balance, as their players worked tirelessly to use space effectively and demanded the ball constantly. For Flick, this is a model Barcelona must learn from if they are to compete at the very top.
In addition, the coach revealed that some of his key players were struggling physically. Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, who have been heavily relied upon in recent weeks, showed visible signs of fatigue in the second half.
Flick substituted Pedri earlier than usual, later admitting that both he and Frenkie were worn out. “You could see that some players were very tired, like Pedri and Frenkie. But they gave their best. It’s important that they’re fresh, but the important thing is the team,” Flick concluded.
