Xavi, the coach of Barcelona, believes that PSG still has a better chance of advancing to the Champions League quarter-finals. Despite winning 3-2 against PSG in the first leg, Xavi stated that Barcelona has only completed half of the job and their progress is not guaranteed.

“PSG is still considered a stronger team and they played exceptionally well, but we managed to minimize their threats,” Xavi said after the match at Parc des Princes on April 10th. “It’s a fantastic victory against one of the best teams in the world. We have reached the halfway mark. It will be very difficult in Barcelona, and nothing is decided yet.”

In this match, Barcelona had a better start and took the lead through Raphinha. In the second half, Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha scored to give PSG a 2-1 lead. However, Barcelona turned the tide later on. Raphinha completed his brace in the 62nd minute, and Andreas Christensen scored a header in the 77th minute to secure a 3-2 victory for Barcelona.

Xavi expressed satisfaction with Barcelona’s ability to contain PSG’s attacking threat, particularly Kylian Mbappe. He stated that his team focused on denying space to PSG’s forwards and applied comprehensive pressing, starting with Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gundogan.

Xavi also praised Raphinha, who was voted as the best player of the match. Raphinha scored a brace, becoming the first Barcelona player to achieve this in a knockout match in the Champions League since Lionel Messi in the semifinals against Liverpool in May 2019.

Since their last championship in 2015, Barcelona has suffered several heavy defeats in the Champions League. In the 2017-2018 season, they won 4-1 against AS Roma in the first leg at Camp Nou but lost 0-3 in the second leg and were eliminated on away goals. A similar scenario occurred the following year when Barcelona won 3-0 against Liverpool in the first leg at home but lost 0-4 in the second leg at Anfield, exiting the competition in the semifinals. However, their most devastating defeat was a 2-8 loss to Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the 2020 Champions League.

“I hope we have buried the ghost of failures in the Champions League,” Xavi said. “Barcelona has gone through difficult years and is making a comeback. We can compete with clubs like PSG that were created to contend for the championship.”

Xavi called on the fans to create a special atmosphere in the second leg at the Olympic Stadium, Barcelona’s temporary home this season while Camp Nou is under renovation, on April 16th. “I hope the stadium becomes a real pressure cooker,” the 44-year-old coach said, emphasizing that the support of the fans will be key to helping Barcelona reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

In January, Xavi announced his intention to leave the club at the end of the season but has been convinced by Barcelona’s management to stay. When asked about the possibility of changing his decision to leave, the Spanish coach refused to discuss his future and wanted the team to focus on the upcoming match against Cadiz in the 31st round of La Liga on April 13th.