Barcelona head coach Xavi believes Paris Saint-Germain is still favourites to reach the Champions League semi-finals, despite suffering defeat in Paris.
Barcelona secured a 3-2 win against Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League quarter-final first leg at Parc des Princes on Wednesday. Both teams will face each other again in the second leg in Barcelona next Tuesday.
In his post-match press conference, Xavi said Luis Enrique’s side is still favourites to win the tie, despite suffering a home defeat.
According to ESPN, Xavi told reporters: “PSG are still the favourites. It will be very difficult to win in Barcelona.
“Today we played well because we were united defensively. I’m very proud, everything worked well. We have to improve our concentration in the first minutes of the second half. We managed to mature and recover from a match that became very difficult.“
Barcelona is unbeaten in their last 12 games since Xavi announced he would leave the club at the season’s end.
He continued: “We thought of Paris as the favourites, but we put a good defensive shift in. We pressed well, and in general I’m happy with what we’ve done. I think Barcelona fans can be happy with what we’ve produced. Now it’s time to think about the second leg.”
Barcelona have qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in four years and wants to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2019.
“I hope the ghosts have died,” Xavi added. “We’ve gone through difficult years in the Champions League recently. This win shows that Barça are still alive.”
