Barcelona flight disrupted by bad weather before Paris Saint-Germain Champions League tie

Barcelona’s return from Seville was delayed by bad weather on Sunday, forcing the squad to spend an extra night in the Andalusian capital after their 5-2 victory over Real Betis.

The team’s flight was unable to depart from Seville Airport during the early hours of the morning. According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona’s players and staff remained on board for three hours before the flight was cancelled and the party returned to its hotel.

The original plan was for the squad to leave at 12:00 on Sunday, although that depended on securing an available departure slot at Seville Airport. Barcelona were also considering travelling directly to Paris to prepare for their Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain.

The disruption has forced manager Hansi Flick to revise his preparations for Tuesday’s European fixture, which will be Barcelona’s third match in the league phase of the Champions League.

Barcelona had been due to train at 11:00 on Sunday at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper in Sant Joan Despi. However, the delay to their return means the coaching staff must rearrange the training schedule and adjust the team’s preparation for the match in Paris.

Flick will hope the travel problems have only a limited effect on his players’ readiness for a demanding contest against Paris Saint-Germain.

Barcelona’s victory at La Cartuja maintained their perfect start to the season, with the club winning their opening 11 competitive matches for the first time since the 1923-24 campaign.

The result also ended a notable run for Real Betis. It was their first home defeat in La Liga since losing 5-3 to Barcelona in December last year, and their first defeat in all competitions since a 4-2 loss to Sporting Braga in April.

Raphinha matched Neymar’s record to become the fifth-highest Brazilian appearance-maker in Barcelona history, reaching 186 games for the club.

Lamine Yamal, meanwhile, became the first player in Europe’s major leagues to record 10 assists this season. He is also the leading goal contributor across the top five European leagues in all competitions, with nine goals and 10 assists.