MADRID (AP) — Coach Hansi Flick says Barcelona’s team needs to play “more attackingly” now that it is struggling in the Champions League.
Barcelona lost 3-0 to Chelsea on Tuesday, leaving the team in 15th place ahead of Wednesday’s game, following a 3-3 draw with Club Brugge. Defensive mistakes cost them both games.
Barcelona were on the back foot at Stamford Bridge, but their attackers failed to score for the first time in 53 games. It was a reality check for the Catalan club, which continues to do well in Spain.
“We definitely need to be more dynamic and play more aggressive,” Flick said.
It was Barcelona’s second defeat in the Champions League. that Lost at home to Paris Saint-Germain In early October. With three league games remaining, Barcelona will host Eintracht Frankfurt next month.
“We have to accept defeat and be positive about what happens next,” Flick said after Tuesday’s loss. “We saw some positive things and I believe we can still get nine points.”
Flick said the match in London might have been different if Ferran Torres had missed the shot near the penalty spot in the fifth minute and only beat the goalkeeper. He said defender Ronald Araujo’s red card in the 44th minute also played a big role.
“We started very well and had a big chance to score the first goal,” he said. “Then the red card changed the game. Against a team like Chelsea, it’s not easy to recover from being down.”
Flick said the team “losing some easy balls” was also costly.
Chelsea dominated the ball and had three times as many attempts as Barcelona, but young star Lamine Yamal was unable to do much throughout the match.
Barcelona have not missed a goal in a match since December 2024, when they played against Leganes in the Spanish league, marking the longest scoring streak in the club’s history.
Of those 53 matches, Barcelona recorded 39 wins, seven draws and seven losses, scoring 151 goals in the process.
This was Barcelona’s fourth loss in their last 10 matches in all competitions, with the other losses coming against other difficult opponents such as Real Madrid, Sevilla and PSG.
Barcelona hosts Alaves on Saturday in the Spanish league.
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