Casablanca – Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick acknowledged Paris Saint-Germain’s superiority following Tuesday’s 4-2 Champions League defeat, but insisted that the result would not define his team’s ambitions this season.
Speaking after the encounter at the Parc des Princes, Flick admitted that Luis Enrique’s side had deserved their victory despite an entertaining contest between the two European giants.
“I think it was a fantastic match from both teams. In the end, PSG showed they were better than us, and that’s why we lost,” Flick said.
However, the German coach urged patience and stressed that Barcelona still have time to improve before the decisive stages of the competition.
“Titles aren’t won in October. The Champions League is decided in June. That’s the approach we want to take,” he added.
Barcelona twice recovered from a goal down through Xavi Espart and Lamine Yamal, but late strikes from Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz secured PSG’s third consecutive victory in the league phase.
Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi contributed to the win with an assist for Ruiz’s goal, which sealed the result for the defending European champions.
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The defeat ended Barcelona’s perfect start to the 2026–27 season, although Flick emphasized the importance of learning from the team’s mistakes rather than dwelling on the result.
Brazilian winger Raphinha shared a similarly measured reaction and dismissed suggestions that the setback could affect Barcelona’s preparations for Sunday’s El Clasico against Real Madrid.
“We only lost three points,” Raphinha said in post-match comments reported by Spanish news agency EFE.
“We knew this could happen. We were facing the two-time European champions, and they’re very strong in front of their own fans.”
The Brazilian explained that Barcelona had hoped to leave Paris with at least a point but remained confident in the team’s ability to compete at the highest level.
With the Champions League campaign still in its early stages, Barcelona will now turn their attention to Sunday’s meeting with Real Madrid, where they will look to respond to their first setback of the season.
