Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was candid in his post-match comments following his team’s 1-2 Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite Ferran Torres gave Barcelona the lead early on, the defending European champions immediately responded and dominated the game. Flick confessed his side finished second best on the night.
“In the first half, in the first half hour, we were better than in the second, but we didn’t play well against a team who deserved to win. “They’re an excellent team,” stated the German coach.
Flick declined to spotlight individual performances, emphasizing that the team as a whole is what is important.
He did, however, highlight the physical difficulties in midfield, where Pedri and Frenkie de Jong once again played significant minutes.
“Pedri and Frenkie de Jong have played a lot of minutes, and it’s important for us that they’re fresh,” Flick told ESPN.
A wake-up call to Barcelona.
The management emphasized that weariness was evident in the second half. “I believe you could see in the second half that several players were quite fatigued.
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“Pedri and Frenkie… However, everyone gave their all on the pitch. With the score at 1-1, you must have a stronger defensive framework. “We need to learn and improve.”
While admitting that PSG were ahead in terms of quality at this point, Flick remained optimistic about the future.
“We can’t say we’ve reached their level today. But I believe in my team, and we did not perform to our full potential today,” he remarked.
He also emphasized the lessons learned, saying, “We didn’t have a structure in the second half. I enjoyed watching Eric’s game.
“We need to train and improve. Today’s game greatly benefits us. I’m confident we can play like PSG, but we need to cling on.”
Looking ahead, Flick demanded increased focus and energy for the entire game. “We have to last the full ninety minutes, we have to be better in defence, in possession, and exploiting spaces.”
Despite the loss, the coach was certain about one thing: “I don’t like losing,” he said, while adding that his players were also furious in the dressing room.
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