Flick after UCL loss: Barcelona 'not at PSG's level'

Barcelona suffered a 2-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League at the Olympic Stadium, marking their first loss of the season across all competitions. Ferran Torres opened the scoring early for Barcelona, but Senny Mayulu equalized before halftime, and Gonçalo Ramos secured a late winner in the 90th minute for PSG, who extended their perfect start with two wins in the tournament.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick acknowledged that his team is not yet at PSG's level, stating in a post-game news conference that there was no point in claiming parity. He expressed belief in his squad, emphasizing that while it was not their best performance, they are working to improve and aim to bounce back. Flick highlighted the need for Barcelona to learn from PSG's example, focusing on aspects like defending, attacking, utilizing spaces, and ball possession over the full 90 minutes.

Flick praised PSG's philosophy and performance, noting their use of young players, high quality, speed with the ball, and fresh legs that elevated the team's level. He observed that Barcelona started strongly but lost control after 30-35 minutes, struggling with structure and game management in both halves. Flick pointed out that some Barcelona players appeared tired, affecting their defensive organization, particularly at 1-1, where better structure was needed to secure the result.

The match context included key absences for both sides, with PSG missing players like Ousmane Dembélé and Marquinhos due to injury, while Barcelona were without Joan García, Raphinha, Gavi, and Fermín López. Despite Torres' early goal boosting Barcelona's hopes, the team faltered in the second half, unable to maintain their initial momentum against a resilient PSG side.