Raphinha's double and Andreas Christensen's goal helped Barcelona beat PSG 3-2 away. This result helps them create an advantage in the second leg when playing at home next week.
PSG are still the favourites. It will be very difficult to win at Barcelona. Today Barca played well because we were united in defense. I am very proud, everything is going well. We had to improve our focus in the first minutes of the second half, said Barca manager Xavi after the match.
Barcelona are aiming to reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2019. In recent years, they have not been successful in playing with 2 consecutive seasons being eliminated from the group stage. That is very unacceptable for a big team like Barcelona.
"I hope the ghosts are dead. We have had a difficult year in the Champions League recently. The victory over PSG shows that Barca still exists, Xavi told them.
PSG were behind Barcelona after the first half, but they accelerated early in the second half, scoring two consecutive goals thanks to Ousamane Dembele and Vitinha. However, errors in the defensive system cost the French team dearly.
We are disappointed with this defeat. The second leg will now be like a final, that is our goal. I have no doubt that we can qualify for the quarter-finals. I congratulate Barcelona on their victory and performance, said coach Luis Enrique PSG.
In the past, Luis Enrique led Barcelona and won the treble in the 2014-2015 season.
We could have done better and we will have to improve some things for the second leg, but I am still satisfied with what the whole team has done. The difference of the match lies in the small details.
As a coach, I take responsibility for that. I chose the team with the players I thought were the best for the match but they were ineffective. We changed the plan after the first half and scored 2 goals in the second half, the PSG coach added.
Luis Enrique also declined to comment on Kylian Mbappe's performance. This striker was completely neutralized by Barca's defense, without great affecting the match.
The PSG strategist also emphasized that Barcelona is not rated higher in the second leg of the quarter-final, despite winning the first leg and playing at home. He shared: "We will go to Barcelona to fight for the next place.
I would never consider opponents as favorite candidates, whoever they are. In the highest level of competition, that is the way I see the problem. We will go to Barcelona to win. I believe in that.
I repeat, we should have won this match. The Champions League is a tournament of moments and I hope it will help us in the second leg.
