Despite Paris Saint-Germain’s 3-2 loss to FC Barcelona at the Parc des Princes in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie, manager Xavi Hernandez is not letting his team rest on their laurels. He emphasizes that the match is far from over and they must remain focused for the last 90 minutes.
Raphinha started things for Barcelona, scoring in the 37th minute of the first half. After a relatively quiet opening 45 minutes, the second half saw a burst of goals. Ousmane Dembélé, facing his former team, leveled the score at 1-1 in the 48th minute. Shortly after, Vitinha put his team ahead 2-1, scoring two goals in just two minutes.
However, Barcelona quickly responded. Raphinha netted his second goal in the 62nd minute, bringing the score to 2-2. Then, Andreas Christensen scored with a header 15 minutes later, giving Barcelona a 3-2 lead with two unanswered goals.
After the match, Xavi spoke to the media and noted that the tie is far from over, and they have to take care of business at home. If they don’t, then it opens the door for PSG to take the matchup.
“It’s time to finish the job,” Xavi said (h/t Mundo Deportivo). “On Tuesday, there’s a crucial match, and before that, we have Cádiz. Hopefully, they have been buried. We were coming from very difficult years in the Champions League, and this result shows that we can compete against a great team, as I said, built to win the Champions League.”
PSG’s chances of reaching the semifinals heavily depend on Kylian Mbappé once again shining bright in Barcelona, highlighting his pivotal role in the team. It’s also crucial for them to maintain a solid defense. If these key elements don’t come together, their journey in the Champions League could come to an end next week.
