Barcelona extend winning streak to 10 games but Flick faces worrying Champions League problem

Barcelona extend winning streak to 10 games but Flick faces worrying Champions League problem Barcelona continued their impressive run of form by beating Galatasaray 4-1 in Istanbul , securing their 10th consecutive victory of the season.  However, Hansi Flick’s side has another European concern to address after conceding yet again in the Champions League. As such, the Catalans have now gone 17 consecutive matches in the competition without keeping a clean sheet, a streak that stretches back to April 2025.  While their attacking output has helped them maintain their winning momentum and has eased pressure on defenders, the repeated defensive lapses could become costly against stronger opposition. Notably, Barcelona recovered emphatically after falling behind against Galatasaray, but the goal they conceded offered another reminder that their work without possession remains unfinished. Barcelona’s UCL clean-sheet drought reaches 17 games Galatasaray’s goal came from a quick counter-attack spearheaded by Rafael Leao down the left flank.  Galatasaray opened the scoring against Barcelona through a quick counter-attack. (Photo by Burak Kara/Getty Images) Aleksey Batrakov, the 21-year-old Russian attacking midfielder who is on Barcelona’s radar , arrived on the edge of the box and struck towards goal. His effort took a deflection off Joao Cancelo, wrong-footing goalkeeper Joan Garcia and found the net.  Although the deflection played a significant role, Barcelona were once again unable to prevent their opponents from scoring in the Champions League. As a result, the sequence extended the club’s unwanted run to 17 consecutive matches without a clean sheet in Europe’s premier competition.  For a team with ambitions of challenging for the trophy, that statistic will be difficult to ignore. Barcelona have repeated last season’s defensive problem Barcelona’s last Champions League clean sheet came in a 4-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their quarter-final on April 9, 2025.  Barcelona haven’t kept a clean sheet in UCL since April 2025. (Photo by Burak Kara/Getty Images) Since then, they have conceded in every match in the competition. The problem also carried into the current campaign, with Barcelona conceding in both of their opening Champions League fixtures.  Fortunately, their attacking quality has helped them secure results, but relying on goals to overcome defensive mistakes is a risky approach over the course of a long European campaign. For now, 10 consecutive victories underline Barcelona’s strength and confidence, but the clean-sheet drought exposes an area that requires attention.  Against Galatasaray, they had enough offensive quality to turn the game around, but tougher opponents may be less forgiving.