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April 10 – Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain are poised for a Remontada rematch in tonight’s UEFA Champions League quarter final.
Barca enter the tie in fine form, going unbeaten in 11 games since Xavi announced his intention to leave the club at the end of the current season.
PSG continue to try to operate without Kylian Mbappe in preparation for his departure in the summer, but you would expect Luis Enrique to utilise his best asset in the upcoming match.
“After four years without being in the quarter-finals, the word is excitement. We are looking forward to a great tie and being in the semi-finals,” said Barca boss Xavi Hernández ahead of the first leg in the Parc des Princes stadium.
“We are really motivated seeing how the players are training and competing,” continued Xavi before admitting that his team were up against one of the favourites. “PSG have a team made to win the Champions League and they have one of the best coaches in the world, Luis Enrique.
“I have a great relationship with [Enrique] and all the respect in the world. We are both looking for the same thing.”
“I think PSG are favourites because they took one of our best players,” said the Barça coach referring to Ousmane Dembélé whom he tried to convince to stay at Barça last summer. “They have Mbappé, Dembélé, Kolo Muani, Vitinha. We have to avoid their counter attacks, being aware and at our very best defensively.”
PSG manager Luis Enrique, who was at Barcelona’s helm for their last UCL title nine years ago, said: “I think we’re in a good situation this season, with a very good collective spirit, and this tie comes at a time when we’re feeling good. There’s no away goals rule, so I’m really looking forward to playing this game at home, I know there’ll be an extraordinary atmosphere. But the order of the games doesn’t really matter to us; our sole aim is to win.”
Last season, PSG were knocked out in the Round of 16 by Bayern Munich….
Source link : https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2024/04/10/ucl-quarter-finals-psg-host-barca-atletico-madrid-ready-dortmund/
Author : Paul Nicholson
Publish date : 2024-04-10 14:00:40
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