Hansi Flick admits Paris Saint-Germain remain better than Barcelona after Champions League defeat

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said Paris Saint-Germain showed they remain a stronger side after beating his team 4-2 in the Champions League.

Flick praised the French champions despite Barcelona suffering their first defeat of the season in all competitions, ending a run of 11 consecutive victories.

“I think it was a great match from both teams, but in the end Paris Saint-Germain proved they are still a better team than us,” Flick told Barcelona’s channel. “We lost the match and we can learn from this defeat.”

Paris Saint-Germain’s victory at the Parc des Princes came in the third round of the first phase of the Champions League. The result moved them to nine points at the top of the competition, while Barcelona remained on six points.

The hosts’ goals were scored by Desire Doue, Lucas Hernandez, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz. Xavi Espart and Lamine Yamal scored for Barcelona.

Flick said Paris Saint-Germain’s ability to attack quickly after winning possession had caused Barcelona problems.

“They have a lot of quality in their attacking transitions and huge potential in that area,” he said. “We have to analyse what happened and work on improving our performance in the future.”

The Barcelona manager also maintained that his side had displayed several positive aspects during the match, particularly in defence.

“We did many things very well and defended excellently for most of the game,” he said.

However, Flick felt Barcelona faded physically during the closing stages.

“In the final 10 or 15 minutes, we were not at our best physically,” he added. “That is not an excuse, but the circumstances were not ideal for preparing for this match.”

Flick also provided an update on Dani Olmo, who was forced to deal with a knock during the game.

“We will see how Dani Olmo is,” he said. “He took a heavy blow and felt some discomfort. We have to wait and see what happens.”

Despite the defeat, Flick said there were elements of the performance that Barcelona could take encouragement from, while insisting the team needed to correct significant errors.

“There are some things we can be satisfied with, but we have to improve,” he said. “We made too many mistakes, and that is not acceptable at this level. We have to perform better.”

He identified the build-up to Paris Saint-Germain’s third goal as a particular example of Barcelona’s shortcomings.

“We had to close the space in front of the player who took the shot for the third goal,” Flick said. “We should have pressed him in the area from which he shot. We made too many mistakes, and that is why they won the match.”

Egypt international striker Hamza Abdelkarim remained an unused substitute for Barcelona throughout the game.