On Tuesday at 9 PM, Paris Saint-Germain faces FC Barcelona at the Olympic Stadium Lluís Companys in the context of the 2023-2024 Champions League quarter-finals, following a 2-3 defeat in the first leg.
In a press conference, Xavi Hernandez, coach of the Spanish club, addressed several key points regarding this crucial encounter. He first emphasized the vital stakes for qualification, aware of the need for his team to reverse the unfavorable result from the first leg.
“Tomorrow is a huge opportunity for the club. Montjuïc must be a cauldron, like on the magical nights at Camp Nou. The supporters must push us. We will need a lot of personality to advance to the next round,” he said.
“A Football War”
Xavi also mentioned Ousmane Dembélé, the 26-year-old Parisian forward and his former protege. “Dembélé’s departure saddened me because I have a lot of esteem for him. But I harbor no resentment. Tomorrow, I will greet him as I did in Paris.”
Finally, Xavi likely shared his thoughts on his Parisian counterpart, Luis Enrique, PSG’s coach. “With Luis Aragones and Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique is one of the three coaches who have marked me the most. I remember many things at many moments…”
“We are not a team that speculates, far from it. We want to have the ball, attack, and win the match. We must do things very well because it is a team that will apply a lot of pressure. I imagine a match similar to the first leg; it will be a football war.”