'If they play like this, Barca shouldn't dream of winning the Champions League'

Steve McManaman, the former footballer, thinks that Hansi Flick's adventurous tactics are causing problems for Barcelona and making it unlikely for them to dream of Champions League glory this year.

Barcelona began their 2025/26 Champions League campaign with a 2-1 victory over Newcastle United, but in the second round, they unexpectedly fell 1-2 at Montjuic against Paris Saint-Germain. Ferran Torres put Barca ahead, but PSG quickly equalized through a goal by Senny Mayulu. Just when the match seemed destined to end in a draw, the visitors struck decisively in the 90th minute with Gonçalo Ramos scoring the winning goal on Spanish soil.

Notably, PSG entered the match missing several key players such as Marquinhos, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele. Therefore, Barca's failure to capitalize on this opportunity makes the defeat even more bitter.

As a commentator for TNT Sports, Steve McManaman openly criticized Hansi Flick's tactical setup. He stated: “Barca brought this defeat upon themselves. Why did they push so high in the final moments of the game? I really don't understand. If they can't fix this issue, they won’t be able to win the Champions League.”.

McManaman emphasized that Barca were overly reckless by choosing to press high when they should have played more cautiously: “The match was nearly over, yet they continued taking risks. Look how far forward they pushed, look at the lack of organization. It's unbelievable.”According to him, this recklessness made the Catalan team vulnerable and cost them valuable points.

Although Barca currently lead La Liga with 19 points after 7 rounds and reached the Champions League semi-finals last season, McManaman believes that Hansi Flick’s current tactical issues pose a major obstacle. “This is a self-inflicted error. Barca must change if they want to lift the trophy. You can’t play like this at any level.”he warned.

The loss to PSG also highlights that Flick and his squad have yet to reach the stability needed to compete with experienced teams. While Luis Enrique's PSG continues to assert their champion status with a perfect 6 points, Barca showed fragility at crucial moments.

Clearly, to truly advance far in this season’s Champions League, Barcelona must improve their tactical mindset and minimize “self-sabotaging” mistakes like those seen against PSG. McManaman sounded the alarm, stating that without change, Hansi Flick’s team will find it hard to grasp the prestigious trophy.

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