FC Barcelona suffered their first defeat of the 2026-27 season as [they were beaten by the current European champions, Paris Saint-Germain, 4-2](https://barcanewsnetwork.com/joan-garcia-9-5-gordon-5-5-psg-4-2-fc-barcelona-player-ratings/) in their third UEFA Champions League game. The two teams went toe-to-toe for most part of the game, with the score standing at 2-2 in the 80th minute. However, the hosts scored two goals in the final ten minutes to win this game.
As [Mundo Deportivo](https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20261020/1004241254/flick-octubre-no-ganan-titulos-champions-decidira-junio.html) has reported, Hansi Flick appeared in front of the media after the match and commented on this result and the team’s performance. Despite the loss, the German coach believed this would be a valuable experience for his team:
**“It was a great test for us, and today we saw which areas we need to improve. I also saw some good things.”**
Despite the loss, the Barcelona coach admitted that this was a great match:
**“I think it was a fantastic match between two teams. We made mistakes and gave the ball away, and we need to analyse those things. PSG showed that they were better than us. We lost, but we learned a lot from this match.”**
One of the reasons Flick identified for this loss was the lack of required fitness:
**“We have to understand that you make mistakes when you’re not fresh. We weren’t fresh.”**
The German coach was satisfied with his players’ mentality despite despite the loss:
**“The last few weeks have been incredible, and I appreciate my players’ mentality and attitude. Today, that showed.”**
The Barcelona trainer also highlighted how the delay in return to the Catalan capital after the trip to Sevilla impacted his team’s performance in this game:
**“There were some fantastic things, but what happened after Sevilla meant we didn’t get the recovery time we needed. That’s not an excuse; it’s about understanding why we weren’t at our top level today.”**
Flick was not too pessimistic after this loss:
**“You don’t win trophies in October. The Champions League is decided in June.”**
The German tactician also believed his team dropped its level a bit after going down in the final minutes:
**“I think the team dropped off a little in the final minutes, after the 3-2.”**
The Barcelona coach reiterated his belief that this could end up to be a good experience for his team:
**“We have to analyse the match, but I saw some very good things as well as areas we need to improve. I don’t want to be negative; I’m positive. It was a good experience, and we need to analyse what we can do better.”**
Flick also praised the goalkeeper Joan Garcia:
**“PSG had a lot of chances, and Joan was fantastic.”**
Meanwhile, the German coach believed his team should have taken better advantage of their scoring opportunities:
**“I think we also had a lot of chances, and normally we would have scored those goals.”**
Going forward, the Barcelona coach highlighted some corrections that his team needs to make:
**“We have to play calmly, be better positioned and stay well connected. We must avoid creating so much distance between ourselves and be clearer about what we want to do.”**
The youngster Xavi Espart was one of the scorers for the Blaugrana side in this match and earned praise from the coach:
**“Xavi Espart is performing at an incredible level. I was impressed by his level last year, then he played at the European Under-19 Championship before joining us straight afterwards. Since then, he has been playing at a high level.”**
Meanwhile, Flick also recognized how difficult it was to play as a right-back last night:
**“It wasn’t easy for Xavi Espart to defend today, and he performed at an outstanding level. We have to focus on the positives, and there were positives. Playing at right-back like that wasn’t easy.”**
The German coach was unable to give any meaningful update about Dani Olmo’s condition:
**“Olmo is very disappointed. We don’t know what his injury is; we have to wait and assess it.”**
The Barcelona coach confirmed that Rodri did not start against PSG due to fatigue:
**“I spoke to Rodri this morning to tell him that Bernal would play. We’re aware of Rodri’s fatigue and the number of minutes he has accumulated.”**
Meanwhile, he also hinted that the Spaniard would return to the lineup against Real Madrid:
**“Bernal played and had a good match, especially in the first half, and Rodri will be fresh for the Clásico.”**
There is no doubt that there would be a sense of disappointment in the Barcelona dressing room after this first defeat of the season. However, as Hansi Flick mentioned, this could also prove to be a significant learning experience for the team, and hopefully, he will be able to eliminate some of the weaknesses shown by his team in this match.