Manager Hansi Flick insists he can feel a turnaround coming
Barcelona will return to La Liga this weekend trying to steady themselves after a bruising 3-0 loss to Chelsea in the Champions League.
A Jules Kounde own goal put Chelsea ahead midway through the first half, and things went from bad to worse when Ronald Araujo collected a second yellow card moments before the interval.
Chelsea seized the advantage after the break, with Estevao scoring a solo goal before substitute Liam Delap defied the offside trap to add a third.
The defeat leaves Barcelona sitting 15th in the league-phase table and in serious danger of missing out on the competition’s top eight. Qualification is still possible, but the margin for error has reduced to nothing.
Flick tried to be positive: “We will see a different Barcelona in the next games. This is what I can promise. I see how we train, the quality, the intensity. It’s totally different than maybe six weeks ago.”
Barcelona missed a few key players at Stamford Bridge. Midfielder Pedri was unable to feature due to injury, while Marcus Rashford and Raphinha could only start on the bench with different concerns of their own.
“I am happy that Raphinha is back again in the second half today,” said Flick. “Marcus is on his level after flu. Pedri will come back soon. Players are coming back, increasing the quality in training. I have a good feeling.”
Barcelona had an early chance that could have led to a different outcome on the night. Ferran Torres was right in front of goal but dragged his attempt agonisingly wide before Chelsea took control. From there, Flick said his team struggled in the physical side of the match.
“We need to be more aggressive, especially in the one-against-one situations,” said Flick. “Chelsea always have that aggression. They play more with the body, more dynamic. This is what I want from my team.”
He accepted that Araujo’s dismissal left Barcelona gasping with little hope of rescuing the match.
“Of course, with a red card, everything changed,” Flick said. “It’s not easy against this fantastic team to come back with 10 players. We have to accept this defeat.”
