Barcelona stars react to first defeat of the season against PSG: ‘I don’t think we’re behind them’ | OneFootball

Paris-Saint Germain ran out victors in the final minute against Barcelona on Wednesday night in the Champions League, handing the Catalan giants their first defeat of the season. Despite the narrow scoreline, and some clear chances for Barcelona, most felt the defeat was deserved.

Not least Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, who asked his players to get to PSG’s level in a number of regards. Following the match, Barcelona’s stars acknowledged that they struggled to maintain their level in the second half.

Eric Garcia – ‘My calf is fine’

One of Barcelona’s better performers was Eric Garcia in central defence, despite his position being one of the debates before the game. After coming off late, Garcia confirmed that he had no injury.

“No, I’m fine. I was exhausted and my calf was swelling up a bit,” he told Movistar+ via MD.

“It was a tough game. In the end, we played well in the first half, we scored and had chances. But then when they conceded, they improved. In the second half, we struggled a lot; we were trailing, and in the end, we had the equaliser, but it slipped away.”

“They held up physically because they had more possession, especially in the second half. If you’re behind, you get more tired, and they had more chances,” Garcia explained, perhaps letting slip that the Blaugrana felt as if they were behind.

However the 24-year-old defender saw little reason to panic about the loss.

“Calm, yes, completely. Last year we lost in Monaco. We knew it was a difficult match and logically we wanted to win, but I think we’ve had two difficult matches and there’s still a lot left to do.

‘I don’t think we’re behind PSG’ – Ferran Torres

Meanwhile Ferran Torres explained to DAZN that Barcelona lost control of the match.

“The game got really crazy. We weren’t able to get the control of the game and take it back to where we wanted it to be. We’re having a lot of games, that’s no excuse, but we now have to focus on the weekend.”

Image via David Ramos/Getty Images

Yet he felt the game was not indicative of a wider trend.

“It’s the game today; I don’t think we’re behind them in general terms. I think the first half hour was spectacular, but we couldn’t sustain it. I’m sure we’ll maintain it as time goes on.”

“At the end of the season, there will be losses, but there’s no need to overdramatize either. Now it’s time to look at what we did wrong and correct those mistakes.”

Frenkie de Jong: ‘They weree better in the second half’

Vice-Captain Frenkie de Jong admitted that while he was disappointed, PSG were better in the second half.

“Very disappointed, we lost at home in the last minute. They were better in the final phase, and in the second half in general. It was more head-to-head in the first half and we were better, especially in the first minutes, but it’s true that they were better in the second,” the Dutchman told Movistar+.

As many had pointed out before the match, this was a measuring stick game for Barcelona.

“We also have absences. It was a good match to see where we stand. We’re also a top team in Europe, but while this defeat hurts, it’s not decisive in the Champions League.”

“We always want to win. We’re not leaving with a good taste in our mouths. We have to improve, we know it, and we’re going to do it.”

Gerard Martin: ‘We have to demand more from ourselves against a team like that’

Left-back Gerard Martin coincided with the analysis of his teammates to a large degree.

“I think we started the game well, but in the second half, they imposed their style on us. We lost control and lost some easy balls. It’s normal for a team like that to end up scoring goals. My self-criticism is that we didn’t play the way we wanted, and they imposed their style on us.”

One of the few controversial moments during the game was a potential second yellow for Nuno Mendes.

“The truth is, it’s on my other side. I asked the fourth official, and he told me it was Fabian’s foul.”

Martin called on his colleagues to do more when facing the very top of the range.

“In the end, it’s better for us to do it now so we can correct it for the playoffs and future matches. We have to demand much more from ourselves against a team like that. We weren’t able to show it today, but I’m sure we’ll have the opportunity to do so later.”