Hansi Flick has urged his Barcelona side to tighten up defensively if they are to compete with Europe’s best, after a stoppage-time goal condemned them to a 2-1 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League group stage on Wednesday.
The decisive moment came in the 90th minute at the Olympic Stadium, when Achraf Hakimi exploited Barcelona’s high defensive line before setting up Gonçalo Ramos for the winner. It was a painful reminder of the gap Flick believes still exists between his team and the defending European champions.
“With the score at 1-1, you simply have to defend better and show more structure at the back,” Flick told reporters after the match. “We will learn from this, and we must improve the next time we face a team of this quality.”
Barcelona’s vulnerability without the ball has been a recurring issue in European competition. Last season, their defensive shortcomings were ruthlessly exposed in the Champions League semi-finals by Inter Milan, who scored seven goals across two legs to eliminate the Catalans. Flick is determined not to let history repeat itself as he looks to instil greater resilience in his squad.
The German coach was frank in his post-match assessment, conceding that PSG were the superior side and that Barcelona failed to reach their usual standards.
“There’s no point pretending we are on the same level as PSG right now,” he admitted. “They deserved the win. Today wasn’t our best performance, but I believe in my team. We train every day to get better, and games like this will help us grow — not just for now but for the future.”
Flick stressed that defending is a collective responsibility and that improvement must come from the entire squad, not just the back line.
“The whole team has to defend, and the whole team has to attack,” he said. “PSG’s philosophy is fantastic — they have quality, young players, and great speed on the ball. They were very, very good tonight.”
Despite the setback, Flick remains convinced that Barcelona can reach PSG’s level when they are at their best. He believes his side showed glimpses of the quality required and that continued development will close the gap with Europe’s elite.
“We saw today the level PSG operate at,” he said. “I’m 100 per cent sure we can play at that level too when we perform to our maximum.”
For Flick and Barcelona, the defeat serves as both a reality check and a roadmap. If the Catalans are to challenge for the Champions League once more, improving their defensive organisation and collective structure will be key to bridging the gap to clubs like PSG.
