Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has reaffirmed his confidence in his squad despite recent defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, insisting the team remains capable of competing for major honours this season.

The German manager made the remarks ahead of Barcelona’s UEFA Champions League meeting with Aston Villa on Tuesday, November 3, as the Catalan side look to strengthen their position in the league phase.

Barcelona suffered a 4-2 defeat to PSG in the Champions League before losing 2-1 to Real Madrid in El Clasico, ending their impressive run of victories.

However, Flick believes the results could have been different and has urged attention to shift towards the team’s broader performances rather than dwelling on the setbacks.

“At this level, anything can happen. Against Real Madrid, the result could have been different. These matches are special, but we still have confidence,” he said.

He also pointed to Barcelona’s response against Deportivo Alaves on Saturday, when they returned to winning ways with an emphatic 6-1 victory.

Flick said his immediate priority was securing a place among the top eight teams in the Champions League league phase to earn automatic qualification for the round of 16.

Barcelona are currently eighth with six points from three matches, while Aston Villa arrive at the contest with a perfect record of nine points.

The coach also acknowledged the quality of Villa and praised their manager, Unai Emery, describing him as one of the best coaches in European football.

Flick remains optimistic that Barcelona have the quality to challenge for both the La Liga and Champions League titles.