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La Liga

Barcelona suffer first season defeat in six-goal Champions League thriller at PSG

By WAF News Desk 2 min read
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Barcelona suffer first season defeat in six-goal Champions League thriller at PSG

Paris Saint-Germain defeated Barcelona 4-2 in a Champions League encounter at the Parc des Princes on 20 October, inflicting the Spanish side's first loss of the season. According to reporting from Barca Blaugranes, the match proved eventful and high-scoring, with both teams creating chances throughout.

Barcelona's Xavi Espart scored his first Champions League goal in the fixture, whilst Lamine Yamal also netted for the visitors. Despite their efforts, Flick's team could not prevent PSG from securing the victory. The French side, described by Flick as the current Champions League holders, demonstrated quality in transition play that Barcelona struggled to contain.

Early in the contest, PSG created an opening when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia struck a shot that beat Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia but struck the post. Barcelona gradually entered the match, with Anthony Gordon and Pedri attempting efforts on goal, whilst Dani Olmo sent a powerful attempt just wide.

Both teams suffered injury setbacks during the first half. Ousmane Dembele departed for PSG after a leg injury, prompting Ferran Torres to enter the field. Barcelona's Olmo also departed midway through the opening period, leading Flick to introduce Fermin Lopez as his replacement. Torres and Lopez both created opportunities but found Garcia resolute in the Barcelona goal.

Reflecting on the defeat, Flick acknowledged PSG's superiority on the day whilst identifying areas for improvement. He noted Barcelona's vulnerability during the closing stages and suggested the team's preparation for the fixture may have been suboptimal, though he stressed this was not an excuse for the result.

Reporting from Barca Blaugranes (Barcelona)

Sources

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