Jamie Carragher Brutally Rules Barcelona Out of Champions League Contention: “Not Good Enough!”

Jamie Carragher has delivered a blunt assessment of Barcelona’s chances in this season’s UEFA Champions League, insisting that the Catalan giants’ defence simply isn’t “good enough” to lift the trophy.

Hansi Flick’s side produced a commanding 6–1 victory over Olympiakos on Tuesday, with goals from Fermín López, Lamine Yamal, and Marcus Rashford highlighting their attacking firepower.

Barcelona reached the Champions League semi-finals last season, only to be eliminated by Inter Milan in extra time of the second leg. The Blaugrana also enjoyed domestic success in 2025, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de España, and they currently sit second in the Spanish top flight this term.

However, Carragher remains unconvinced by their defensive solidity and doubts whether they can compete with Europe’s elite sides such as Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich.

“They lost the semi-final last season through naivety, really – maybe having too many young players,” Carragher told CBS Sports.

“When you look at the back four who played tonight – Koundé, Cubarsí, García and Balde – I’m not sure this defence can win the Champions League.

“It’s not just about playing with a high line, which also causes them problems. Whenever you watch them, you always feel the opposition has a chance. It’s not only tactical – I just don’t think the defenders are good enough when they face truly elite teams like Arsenal, PSG, or Bayern Munich.”

Flick Full of Praise for López After Hat-trick Heroics

Despite the criticism, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was full of admiration for young midfielder Fermín López, who scored a stunning hat-trick against Olympiakos.

“He scores, he runs, he’s very complete,” Flick said after the match. “His performance was sensational. Three goals – the first one was very important and gave us confidence. He has it all: dynamism, speed, and intelligence.”

Flick believes the emphatic victory will boost his side’s confidence ahead of Sunday’s highly anticipated El Clásico against Real Madrid.

“We had some problems at the beginning of the match, but we deserved the win,” he added.

“Every goal and every victory is important. The key thing is that we won today, and that should give us confidence going into the match against Real Madrid. It’s a tremendous game – and we don’t have time to waste.”