Barcelona captain Raphinha has played down the impact of his side’s 4-2 Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, insisting the setback will not affect their preparations for Sunday’s El Clasico against Real Madrid.
The Brazilian, who returned to Barcelona’s starting line-up for Tuesday’s encounter at the Parc des Princes, admitted he was disappointed with the result but maintained that losing to the European champions was not a disaster.
“We knew it could happen. We’re facing the two-time European champions at their home ground. They’re very strong. Obviously, we wanted to come away with a win or at least a point, but it’s not the end of the world. This happens when it has to happen. We only dropped three points. We’ll see what the manager tells us so we can improve and be ready for El Clásico,” Raphinha told Movistar.
Despite the defeat, the Barcelona captain believes his team showed enough quality to compete with PSG, who scored through Desire Doué, Lucas Hernandez, Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz. Xavi Espart and Lamine Yamal scored for Barcelona, but their efforts were not enough to prevent the hosts from claiming victory.
Raphinha praised PSG’s tactical organisation and said the contest offered Barcelona an opportunity to assess their level against one of Europe’s leading sides.
“They’re a very well-coached team. Despite the result, we competed well. They’re both teams that like to have possession. I think it was a good test, and it shows we can compete. I think we played well,” he said.
The Brazilian also explained that he was still working towards full fitness after spending less than a week in training before the match. However, he was encouraged by how he felt at the final whistle and said his focus had shifted to preparing for the Madrid clash.
“I think I’ve had less than a week of training and this was expected to happen. I finished the match feeling good, strong, and now I’m focused on getting in better physical shape for the Clásico. This doesn’t affect the Clásico at all,” he said.
Barcelona will face Real Madrid on Sunday, with Raphinha confident that the defeat in Paris will not derail their preparations for the high-profile La Liga encounter.
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