FC Barcelona opened their UEFA Champions League campaign with a dominant 5-1 home victory against Feyenoord Rotterdam on Wednesday.
Brazilian winger Raphinha scored twice, while Karim Adeyemi, Lamine Yamal and Gabriel Jesus also found the net for the Spanish champions. The result marked a fifth consecutive victory for Barcelona across all competitions in the 2026-27 season.
Speaking after the match, head coach Hansi Flick expressed satisfaction with the team performance but insisted that the squad must still improve. Flick said the players work extremely hard and display high quality on the ball, but emphasized that they need to maintain the same intensity in training and identify specific areas that require refinement.
Barcelona enter the European campaign aiming to build on their domestic title success under Flick, who took charge of the Catalan club in 2024 after previous success with Bayern Munich and the German national team. The UEFA Champions League brings together Europe's elite clubs in a competitive group format.
Attacking depth and tactical flexibility
Flick also commented on the competition among his central forwards after utilizing Raphinha, Dani Olmo and Gabriel Jesus in attacking roles during Wednesday night's fixture. He said that having multiple forward options gives the coaching staff flexibility to make tactical changes and control matches in different scenarios.
The manager highlighted Raphinha's intensity and movement into open spaces as key factors in creating chances. Flick added that Barcelona are performing effectively in transition phases and counter-attacks, while also demonstrating the patience needed to keep possession and wait for openings.
Feyenoord, based in Rotterdam, are one of the most successful clubs in Dutch football history alongside traditional rivals Ajax and PSV Eindhoven. The Rotterdam side now faces an uphill task to recover in their European campaign following the heavy defeat in Spain.
Upcoming matches in La Liga and Europe
Barcelona return to domestic action on Sunday, September 13, when they travel to face Levante in the fifth matchday of the La Liga season. That fixture is scheduled to kick off at 16:15 local time.
Their European campaign will resume next month with a trip to Turkey to play Galatasaray. That Champions League matchday two encounter is set for Tuesday, October 13 at 21:00.
