Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said his tired side made "too many mistakes" as their perfect start to the season ended with a 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday in the Champions League. Desiré Doué, Lucas Hernández, Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz were all on target as PSG edged an enthralling game at the Parc des Princes to make it three wins from three in Europe this season. Xavi Espart and Lamine Yamal had twice drawn Barça level before the Spanish champions conceded twice late on, bringing an 11-game winning run to an end.
The fixture had been billed as a clash between the best two sides in the world right now. Barcelona had scored 48 goals in their 11 wins this season, and their winning start was tied for the longest by a Spanish club among Europe's top five leagues. Flick, however, lamented his side's preparation, with their flight back from Seville after beating Real Betis on Saturday cancelled due to storms in Spain. "It's not an excuse, just for you to understand why maybe we were not at the top level," he said.
Flick also confirmed that the surprise decision to start Rodri on the bench was made with Sunday's visit from Real Madrid in mind. Victory in the Clásico would move Barça nine points clear of José Mourinho's side and extend their league winning streak to 10 games. Rodri came on for the final 30 minutes. Dani Olmo could miss the match, though, after being substituted in the first half; he will undergo tests in Barcelona.
PSG coach Luis Enrique agreed it was a fantastic game, praising his team's defensive effort against the "best possible" opposition. He said his side had adapted to a difficult second half, when Barça had a 15-minute spell of dominance.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing