One of those largely responsible for Barcelona’s victory in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals against Paris Saint-Germain was Brazilian Raphinha, who scored two goals. This Monday, on the eve of the return clash, coach Xavi answered what was the “key turn” for the athlete’s performance to grow in the last games.
“His mentality and thinking in the group. The team’s improvement happens here, because everyone thought of the team, before themselves. From here, individualities emerge. He has a lot of talent and can be a difference maker, I hope he does that again tomorrow”, he said. .
The return game between Barcelona and PSG takes place this Tuesday, at 4pm (Brasília time), at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, in Catalonia. The Barça commander analyzed the confrontation and asked for the support of his fans.
“For us it’s a great opportunity as a club. We play at home, we have this factor in our favor. Montjuïc has to be like the magical nights at the Camp Nou. I imagine a game very similar to the first leg: they won’t speculate, they will put pressure on us, go ahead. We will have to find spaces and show personality to advance to the semi-finals. We are talking about one of the best teams and coaches in the world,” he said.
Listen up, cullers! 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/Lp9CjdEawQ
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 15, 2024
Who will also have to deal with the spotlight on Tuesday night is Dembélé, who left Barcelona to join PSG at the start of the current European season. Xavi regretted the departure of the French player, now a rival for a place in the Champions League semi-finals.
“I felt bad that he left, he was in an extraordinary moment. But I don’t hold any grudge against him. I will congratulate him. I have a lot of respect for him”, he said.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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