Barcelona Star Opens Up: UCL Exit to PSG Still a Bitter Pill to Swallow | OneFootball

Although Paris Saint-Germain fell short of reaching the UEFA Champions League final, the capital club did have a memorable moment in the quarterfinals with their come-from-behind result against FC Barcelona.

The Parisians trailed 4-2 on aggregate at one point in the second leg. However, after the red card to Ronald Araújo, the French giants would score four unanswered goals while playing with one more man to advance past the Catalan side 6-4 on aggregate.

It’s been a few weeks since that match ended at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys and Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has reflected on that night that ended the team’s hopes of advancing in the Champions League.

“When I think about the Champions League, the only match that comes to mind is the return match against PSG,” Lewandowski told Mundo Deportivo (h/t Le10Sport). “I believe this experience holds significant importance for us. While it’s tough to swallow today, looking ahead, it could prove to be crucial. In La Liga, Madrid has clinched numerous victories despite not performing at their best, and I reckon that’s an area we need to work on for the upcoming season.”

“Being so close yet so far… that’s just how football goes. We had a tough match with some questionable calls, but hey, that’s the game. It’s disappointing that we couldn’t go head-to-head with Paris with a full team the whole time. Things might’ve turned out differently. But hey, we can take away some lessons from this, learn from what went down, and come back stronger. That’s the plan moving forward.”

PSG wasn’t unable to turn that night into positive momentum for their tie against Borussia Dortmund. Luis Enrique and his team failed to record a goal over 180 minutes as the German club secured a 2-0 aggregate win.

The capital club will hope that next season will bring greater results, especially without Kylian Mbappé.