FC Barcelona lost their first match of the season, but the sky is not falling. Paris Saint-Germain were the toughest test the blaugrana had faced all season, and it showed. Away in Paris, Barça fought strongly, but were ultimately undone in a 4-2 loss. Still, vibes among fans, the media, and reportedly, the players themselves, are still going strong.
It would be a mistake to overreact to one loss after what was, to this point, a perfect start to the season. Even more so as Barcelona face Real Madrid this Sunday. Madrid, for their part, are rebounding after a rough start. They lost 1-0 to Real Betis early in the season, and things turned from bad to worse with a loss to Atlético de Madrid last month.
Los Blancos then scraped by Villarreal and AS Roma, both by one goal, but their last two results are strong, both 4-1 wins, one over Sevilla FC and one over RB Leipzig. There’s still rumblings of discord over the roles of two of their stars, Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé, but winning is a salve like none other in football.
Reports from insiders at Barcelona say the players remain upbeat despite the setback, with some pundits even saying it was better to lose this match, which as a UEFA Champions League league phase game, may not ultimately matter, than lose against Real in La Liga. There’s an old superstition that says you will eventually lose your unbeaten streak, and it’s best to do so in a game you can afford to lose.
For both clubs, losing el clásico will result in a degree of turmoil. For Real, they would be nine points adrift of Barça before the midway point, a very difficult hole to climb out of. Meanwhile, the suspicion that Barcelona can’t win big games after the PSG loss will multiply exponentially. It will be less of a knockdown punch for Barça because they lead La Liga, but it would surely prompt soul-searching.
For the time being, Barcelona go into el clásico with optimism and confidence.