Mauricio Pochettino’s Paris Saint-Germain smashed Barcelona by four goals to one in their much anticipated first leg of this year’s round of 16 tie, in the UEFA Champions League. Ronald Koeman’s men failed to comprehend the whole situation while youngster Kylian Mbappe ran the show at the Nou Camp as he landed a hat-trick. Former Juventus and Everton footballer Moise Kean got a single goal while Lionel Messi had opened the scoring with a penalty.
More from Everything Barca
- FC Barcelona tracking Belgian Wonderkid
- FC Barcelona vs Betis Player Ratings
- Barça boss Xavi to get contract extension
- FC Barcelona planning swoop for Arsenal midfielder
- Barcelona interested in €30 million wonderkid
Barcelona looked to be shell-shocked by the French giants. Pochettino has spoken about the tie and the upcoming second leg in a few week’s time. The Argentine has made his intentions clear. While he is happy and satisfied with his victory at the Nou Camp, he has also stated that the tie is nowhere near over.
"“There are ninety minutes left. We are happy with the result but there is still a lot to do. We have to be careful with Barça.”Source Catalunya Radio"
The former Tottenham Hotspur manager stated that he and his team are not going to take the second leg lightly irrespective of their comfortable league. The manager also stated that they have to be very careful over the second leg in order to not cause any more mishaps.
One can easily think that Paris Saint-Germain can easily quality in the second-leg but history speaks differently. The UEFA Champions League has always provided drama of every kind. Barcelona trailed 4-0 at the Parc des Princes a few years ago in the first leg whereas in the second leg they beat the Frenchmen 6-1 to create one of the most iconic comebacks of all time. Having said that, Barca have also fallen victim to many such comebacks to AS Roma and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the past.
Hence, the statement from the former Espanyol manager is understandable. One would easily think they’re comfortable with four away goals but in the Champions League, you can never be sure until it’s done. However, Koeman has made some claims that make him and his team look like they’re already out of the tie. The Dutchman does not seem to have much hope for the second leg according to his few recent statements after the tie.
Will Barca manage another remontada?