Barcelona experienced their first loss of the season, falling 2-1 to AS Monaco in the Champions League. This early setback left both fans and the team, especially head coach Hansi Flick, frustrated. Flick specifically criticized two players he felt contributed to the defeat.
Despite a strong start to the season, Flick had high hopes for this match, but a mistake by goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen changed its trajectory.
In his post-match remarks, Flick stated, “Ter Stegen’s error altered the game; Barça needs to seriously think about finding a new goalkeeper.” This misstep allowed Monaco to equalize, shifting the momentum toward the French side.
In addition to the defensive mistake, winger Raphinha squandered two critical chances that could have sealed the win for Barcelona.
Flick remarked, “Raphinha missed two opportunities that should have been converted. Those were pivotal moments that could have made a difference.”
Although Barcelona initially led the game, Monaco came back strong, and with Ter Stegen’s mistake and Raphinha’s missed opportunities, the Spanish team ended up defeated.
Despite the disappointment, Flick remained hopeful, emphasizing that there’s still time to recover: “It’s just the start of the Champions League, and we have many matches left to make amends.”
While the loss was disheartening, Barça has several more chances in the group stage, and both the coach and players will aim to learn from their errors as they move forward.
