Barcelona dressing room believes PSG defeat will help the team for El Clasico

FC Barcelona’s travelling party returned to Catalonia in the early hours with the feeling that, despite losing to Paris Saint-Germain, the team remains on the right track.

Indeed, according to SPORT, the players, coaching staff and club directors left Paris convinced that Barcelona still have plenty to prove in Europe and, above all, determined to respond in Sunday’s El Clásico at the Spotify Camp Nou.

“The defeat will do us good for El Clasico,” was one comment heard within the Barcelona delegation. Another view was that the result could serve as a springboard for Sunday’s showdown.

Both the club’s leadership and coaching staff believe there were significant obstacles to overcome in Paris.

The injuries to Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde, Raphinha’s recent physical problems, the need to manage players such as Rodri, and the fatigue caused by delays to the journey from Seville and the subsequent trip to Paris all played a part.

Barcelona lost to PSG on Tuesday. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

None of these factors should be used as an excuse, but they had a considerable impact.

No sense of crisis

There is a sense of calm within Barcelona despite the defeat against PSG. Self-criticism is necessary, but there is no intention of allowing the result to trigger a crisis. As Hansi Flick said at his post-match press conference, the title is not win in October.

The priority now is to learn from the mistakes and continue improving. Within the squad, there is a strong belief that Barcelona will look considerably more solid against Real Madrid on Sunday.

That is the immediate priority: defeating their fiercest rivals and opening up a nine-point gap in La Liga. There is still plenty of time to put things right in the Champions League.

Flick had El Clasico on his mind from the start

Barcelona also maintain that Flick prioritised El Clasico throughout the match against PSG. Rodri began on the bench to ensure he would be in the best possible condition to face Real Madrid, while Raphinha and Pedri were both substituted around the hour mark.

All eyes on El Clasico. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

The eleven players Flick considers his strongest available lineup did not share the pitch at any point during the match.

That is not being put forward as an excuse for the defeat, particularly given that PSG were also without Nuno Mendes and lost Ousmane Dembele to injury early in the game.

The squad had given everything in Paris, showing pride and character, even if the result did not go their way. Now, the team must move on and focus entirely on Real Madrid’s visit to the Spotify Camp Nou.

There is no better fixture in which to put the first defeat of the season behind them than El Clasico.

“It is extra motivation for El Clasico,” is the message from the dressing room.