Stepping onto the field in Paris with the labels of favorites, the "Barcelona" footballers left it with their heads hanging low. In the second round of the Champions League, the Catalans lost 2:3 to the "Paris Saint-Germain" team, despite facing the opponents' defense without their leader Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ezequiel Lavezzi, wrote goal.com.
Lionel Messi and company had to admit the advantage of the hosts at "Parc des Princes" when powerful shots from David Luiz, Marco Veratti, and Blaise Matuidi hit the "Barcelona" net.
Three shots and Laurent Blanc's reputation from the bench became stronger, while Luis Enrique's head seemed clouded for the first time.
“The explanation for our defeat is very simple. We played against opponents of the same level and they managed to cope better with the pressure,” L. Enrique said.
The 44-year-old former "Barcelona" player enjoyed a relatively simple start to the season. The Spaniard, who took over the team's reins in the summer of the 2014-2015 season, began the season without losses and remained calm after the shock from PSG.
He took responsibility for the loss.
"We did not play as well as we hoped. We had several clear chances at the end and could have equalized," said L. Enrique. "We made simple mistakes when trying to push the ball out from our side. The ball just ended up in dangerous zones, and then PSG scored. We knew it could happen. But sometimes it is unavoidable. It's like a page from the book of mistakes. Fixing them is not easy, but we know that and we are trying."
After the defeat, "Barcelona" fans first blamed the defenders and looked at goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen with narrowed eyes.
"I usually don't talk about individual performances. The defeat is determined by everyone, and first of all, I should blame myself," said L. Enrique. "I am a coach and responsible. The players were in a good mood, but it was not the most productive day when it comes to finishing attacks."
"Barcelona" will return to the Champions League on October 21 when they host the "Ajax" footballers at the "Camp Nou" stadium.
Before that, the Catalans will play against the "Rayo Vallecano" footballers and will seek to extend their streak without defeats in the Spanish championship.
lrytas.lt
