“`html
In a tense Champions League encounter at the Parc des Princes, Désiré Doué netted in the 37th minute, giving Paris Saint-Germain the lead and extending Barcelona’s unwanted record of consecutive games without a clean sheet in the competition to 18 matches.
Barcelona, who under Hansi Flick have dazzled fans with their attacking prowess—scoring an impressive 39 goals in just nine LaLiga fixtures this season—continue to struggle defensively on the European stage. Despite their goal-scoring feats domestically, their Champions League backline has been persistently vulnerable.
Barcelona’s Defensive Woes in Europe
Prior to Tuesday’s clash against PSG, Barcelona had already endured the longest streak in club history without a Champions League clean sheet, having conceded in 17 consecutive matches. That streak dates back to April 2025, when they last kept a shutout by defeating Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in the first leg of the 2024/25 quarterfinals.
Since that dominant win over Dortmund, Barcelona’s defense has been breached in every subsequent Champions League game. Their opponents have exploited these lapses repeatedly, with Barcelona conceding three or more goals on five separate occasions. These heavy defeats came against Inter Milan twice, Dortmund again, Club Brugge, and Chelsea. Additionally, clubs such as Olympiacos, Slavia Praha, FC Copenhagen, and Feyenoord also managed to find the net against them.
Doué’s goal against Joan García was a precise strike from just outside the penalty area, reaffirming PSG’s attacking threat and deepening Barcelona’s defensive concerns on Europe’s grandest stage.
“`