Barcelona lost 4-2 in Paris to suffer their first defeat of the 2026-27 season. Hansi Flick’s side had started the campaign unbeaten, but their European setback comes ahead of one of their biggest domestic fixtures.
The Barcelona captain believes the result does not change what his team can achieve, despite the difficulty of facing the reigning European champions away from home.
“We knew it could happen; we’re facing the two-time European champions, and playing in front of their fans is very tough,” Raphinha told reporters after the game.
“We wanted to come away with a win or a point – whatever – but it’s no big deal; these things happen when they’re meant to, and in the end we’ve only dropped three points.”
Raphinha also felt Barcelona had competed well against Luis Enrique’s side, despite conceding four goals. He said the game offered evidence that Flick’s players could go toe-to-toe with leading European opposition.
“They are a very well-drilled side. Despite today’s result, we competed well. Both teams like to play with the ball and we had possession. It was a good test and shows we can compete. The result doesn’t matter, but we played well.”
Moving forward, together. 💙❤️ https://t.co/94pVvFmtkN
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 21, 2026
The Brazilian’s return to the starting line-up was another positive for Barcelona. His involvement had been carefully managed after he returned to full training less than a week before the match, and he said he came through the game without problems.
“After all, I’ve had less than a week’s training, and this was the plan – to play fewer minutes,” he said. “I finished the match feeling good and strong, and I’m trying to improve my physical condition further.”
Barcelona will assess Dani Olmo after the midfielder was forced off against PSG. His condition could become an important factor in Flick’s preparations for the visit to Real Madrid, although Raphinha said he did not know what had caused the injury.
“I don’t know what happened to Dani, and now we’ll speak to the manager and the doctor to find out what happened,” he said.
Flick’s immediate task is to ensure his players recover from the trip to France and are ready for Sunday’s meeting with their domestic rivals. Barcelona will also review their performance against PSG to identify where they can improve before the clásico.
“We’ll see what the manager has to say about how we can improve and be in good shape for the clásico,” Raphinha said.
Asked whether the defeat could disrupt Barcelona’s momentum, the captain was emphatic: “It can’t affect it at all.”
