Paris Saint-Germain fell 3-2 to FC Barcelona in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie on Wednesday at the Parc des Princes. The game wasn’t the best defensive performance for the Parisians, and after the loss, Marquinhos spoke to Canal Plus.
In his postgame remarks, the PSG captain noted their difficulties in the match. Furthermore, Marquinhos pointed out that the team didn’t expect an easy matchup despite what some pundits and experts stated.
“I don’t think so,” Marquinhos said about the game being a logical result. “We faced some challenges; they’re a top-level team. Those who expected an easy match don’t know this Barcelona team. The game was a bit too open.”
Marquinhos (Canal+): « Résultat logique? Je ne pense pas. On a eu des difficultés, c'est une équipe de très haut niveau en face. Ceux qui attendaient un match facile ne connaissent pas cette équipe de Barcelone. On a eu un match un peu trop ouvert. »
— Paris_SGINFOS (@Paris_SGINFOS) April 10, 2024
Marquinhos also stated that even though they took a 2-1 lead at one point in the contest, it was the little details that doomed them and allowed Barcelona to find the back of the net on three occasions.
“In the game, they have a midfield that likes to retain possession and switch sides,” Marquinhos added. “We had some good moments, but it’s the details that make the difference. A goal from a corner, a goal from behind… These are the details to address for the return match.”
Marquinhos (C+): «Dans le jeu, ils ont un milieu de terrain qui aime bien garder le ballon et changer de côté. On a eu des bons moments mais ce sont des détails qui font la différence. Un but sur corner, un but dans le dos… Ce sont des détails à corriger pour le match retour. »
— Paris_SGINFOS (@Paris_SGINFOS) April 10, 2024
To advance to the semifinals, PSG will need Kylian Mbappé to have another amazing performance in Barcelona and the defense to be sound. If neither of those two things happens, then the Parisians’ run in the Champions League could be ending next week.
