The coach pointed to defending Mbappé and set pieces after the 4-2 Champions League defeat in Paris ended Barça's perfect start.

Hansi Flick has told Barcelona they must defend better than they did in Paris when they face Real Madrid in the first El Clásico of the season at Camp Nou on Sunday, 25 October 2026.

Barcelona go into the match after their perfect start to 2026/27 ended with a 4-2 Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, 20 October. Xavi Espart and Lamine Yamal scored for Barça, but two late PSG goals finished the game after the Catalans had twice drawn level.

Flick said at his press conference on Saturday, 24 October that the response must start without the ball. Real Madrid arrive with Kylian Mbappé as the obvious direct threat, and Flick named Pau Cubarsí and Gerard Martín as central to Barcelona’s plan against him.

"The important thing is to position yourself well with the ball and without the ball. Pressure on the player with the ball, advanced defense. And I think Cubarsí and Gerard are playing very well. What they are doing is incredible, they talk, they play, they are growing together. "We know Real Madrid's strengths, and they're among the best at set pieces. They're also physically strong. We have to defend better than we did in Paris. We discussed it today."

Hansi Flick

The set-piece point is not cosmetic. Barcelona conceded from a corner in the loss to PSG, and Flick linked that weakness directly to the Madrid game. He also said after the defeat in Paris that PSG were better than his side.

At Parc des Princes, PSG led through Désiré Doué in the 38th minute. Xavi Espart equalised in the 55th, Lucas Hernández restored PSG’s lead in the 72nd, Lamine Yamal made it 2-2 in the 79th, and late goals from Vitinha in the 81st and Fabián Ruiz in the 86th ended Barcelona’s unbeaten run.

That result cut through a strong start. Before facing PSG, Barcelona had beaten Galatasaray and Feyenoord in the Champions League and had won 11 matches from 11 in all competitions. The Paris match changed the tone before Madrid, not the stakes.

Barcelona trained on Friday, 23 October at the Ciutat Esportiva in their penultimate session before the Clásico. Six Barcelona players are preparing for their first match in Blaugrana against Real Madrid, while Karim Adeyemi is also heading into his first Clásico.

Inside the squad, the public line has stayed firm. Rodri said Barcelona arrive with their “mentality intact” and expect “a Real Madrid side that will go for everything.” Pedri said he prepares for El Clásico like any other match. Gavi said Barcelona are “going to go all out from the start.”

Flick’s public message focused on pressure on the ball, an advanced defence and stronger set-piece defending. Those were the areas he said Barcelona had discussed after Paris.