Bradley Barcola: "We'll train well to give everything" | OneFootball

Speaking ahead of his side’s UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against Borussia Dortmund, the Paris Saint-Germain striker discusses his relationship with the competition, the quarter-final against Barcelona and the upcoming clash against the German outfit.

Bradley, what does the Champions League mean to you?

'Ever since I was little, I've told myself that I needed to play in it; scoring goals and getting assists brings me closer to achieving my dream of winning it one day. I love watching the finals and seeing the emotions that winning the Champions League brings. That's always been my aim.'

How have you acclimatised to life in Paris?'I think that there's a great environment here; the club takes really good care of us. The players have been incredible with me and have looked after me since day one. I don't think that there's anything better than having the trust of your teammates and of your coach when it comes to settling in, and that's why everything is going well at the moment. I don't talk much, so I was pretty reserved when I joined the club. I told myself that Paris Saint-Germain wanted me because I had something to contribute and that I needed to be myself out on the pitch and to see how things went, and I was given a really warm welcome.'

We can see that things are going well between you and PSG's other strikers...

'Honestly, everything is falling into place because you can't help but improve when you're working with such great players. They've given me a lot of advice; it's perfect. For example, Ousmane told me to get myself on the ball and not to overthink things in one-v.-ones, and it's the same with Kylian, who told me to shoot when I can do so. They give me a lot of good advice.'

And off the pitch?

'We laugh a lot together! They're older than me, but they're young at heart, so we get along really well. We can talk about anything with each other; everything feels natural between us, which is perfect.'

What do you make of such a young squad?

'I think that the young players provide a touch of madness. When you're young, you can bring that little bit extra, that sort of nonchalance, and I think that's why everything is going so well. The squad is very strong and very united, and we're capable of achieving great things together. We attack and defend as a unit, which has made us a great team this season and is why we can pull off some amazing things.'

Let's take a look at the tie against Barcelona now and that crazy second leg. What do you remember about that game?

'I prepared for the second leg in the same way that I always do. I trained normally, without any pressure on my shoulders, and I decided that I would be myself out on the pitch, just like I always am. I was really focused when I stepped onto the pitch, and it all went well, which we're really happy about.'

And yet, it was Barcelona that opened the scoring…

'We didn't doubt ourselves. Whenever we concede a goal, I look over at my teammates to see their expressions, and I didn't see any doubt on their faces. We weren't scared at all, which was reassuring because we all have the same mentality, and I think that that helped us to get back into the game.'

Tell us about your assist for Dembélé, which completely turned the game on its head…

'I wanted to pull the ball into a specific area, as I know that those crosses are difficult for goalkeepers and defenders to deal with. I saw some space between the keeper and the defenders, and I decided that that was where I needed to put the ball. Ousmane managed to get himself onto the end of it, and we scored!'

It must have been an amazing moment for you all when you made it through…

'When you look back at that game, you realise that it was a great match. Both teams played well, and when we won, we knew that it was a historic moment.'

Attentions now turn to Dortmund, a team that you know well…

'We've played them twice already this season, and we know that they're a great team, so we'll prepare properly and train well to give everything that we've got to win that double header.'

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