PSG doesn't need a "flood" to sweep Barca away

Right on their home ground, a Barca team in good form and with a stronger lineup unaffected by injuries was overturned by PSG with a 2-1 comeback victory. It was a match where the visitors didn’t need their best scorers but correctly anticipated Barca's tactics to neutralize them and secure three points.

Is Barca deluded or is PSG really strong?

Last weekend, coach Hansi Flick’s squad rose to the top of the La Liga standings, overtaking Real Madrid. This led many Barca fans to believe that with their current strength, the Catalan club could realistically aim for a double win of La Liga and the Champions League. However, their celebration was premature and somewhat excessive. "There’s always someone better," is something Barca must always remember because Champions League is different from La Liga.

Recently, on their home turf during the UEFA Champions League qualifying round, Barca still seemed unclear about how they lost to PSG. Although they took the lead in the 19th minute through striker Ferran Torres, coach Hansi Flick’s team couldn't hold on even for a single point. In this match, Barca could only compete evenly with PSG during the first half of the first half. That was when PSG had to play deep due to a weaker squad and quality. But once PSG found their rhythm, Barca became the team "living in fear." They were continuously pressured by the visitors, despite coach Luis Enrique missing many stars on the trip to Barcelona due to injuries. We must emphasize this factor once again. Barca endured a turbulent second half, almost powerless against the reigning Champions League champions' attacks.

Against a team like PSG, all of Barca’s problems were exposed clearly. In attack, on a day when superstar Lamine Yamal was uninspiring, the other Catalan forwards failed to produce any explosive moments. Veteran Robert Lewandowski showed clear signs of aging. While he may still perform well in La Liga, the Champions League is a different level. Even in La Liga, Lewandowski can no longer play continuously or exert pressure like in his youth. This will be a challenge Flick must address soon.

In midfield, with Pedri not at his best, Barca resembled an engine running roughly. But the most worrying issue lies in defense. In Hansi Flick’s system, Barca’s defenders push too high, even setting offside traps near the center circle. This may help in attack organization against weaker or unfamiliar opponents, but against clubs like PSG, this style is a "double-edged sword." Almost every time PSG increased the match tempo and quickly transitioned to attack, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny’s goal was shaken.

One might wonder, if Barca had Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Desire Doue in their lineup today, could PSG still win by a large margin? The answer is very likely yes, not just "possibly." Even without these three, the Paris team managed 15 shots towards Barca’s goal, including 7 on target—more than twice the home side’s attempts. This shows PSG’s attacking "machine" is ready to "explode" everything even when lacking their "best ammunition."

Barca’s 1-2 defeat to PSG revealed many issues for coach Hansi Flick’s squad. It turns out the Catalan team isn’t as strong as people thought. Of course, this hasn’t affected Barca’s chances of advancing in the Champions League but it serves as a reminder for Flick to be more tactical and flexible against opponents like PSG, Real Madrid, Liverpool, or Bayern.

Flick admits the harsh truth about Barca

Coach Hansi Flick acknowledged that Barcelona has not yet reached the level of Paris Saint-Germain even though the opponents were missing several key players such as Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Marquinhos due to injuries. Flick’s viewpoint was straightforward: "Today, it’s clear that Barcelona is not on par with PSG. That’s the reality, and I don’t want to avoid it. We will keep working hard to reach PSG’s level.”

Flick also emphasized that PSG demonstrated superior play, with smooth coordination, effective use of space, and strong contesting—areas where Barca performed poorly and failed to match when facing the Champions League holders. He believes Barcelona must learn from how PSG players always strive to control the ball and exploit gaps: "We must improve and upgrade ourselves if we want to beat opponents and reach a higher level. The whole team needs to cooperate in defense, attack, and ball control.

Their football philosophy is excellent, with talented young players, speed, and technique. Nobody expected PSG to field so many young players in such a match. Yet after 30-35 minutes, PSG dominated possession. We lacked a stable formation structure in our best state, which is essential when facing a team like PSG."

To put it simply, based on Flick’s statements, PSG is now a well-oiled machine that has fully absorbed Enrique’s teachings. Along with that comes immense confidence. For Enrique, losing any player is acceptable, but the philosophy and style of play must be adaptable and "alive."

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