BARCELONA SHOCKED OUSMANE DEMBELE AND PSG during their visit! This is WHAT HAPPENED!
Chelsea thrashed Everton 6-0: Cole Palmer netted a poker, though the match became a hotly debated one due to a controversial penalty. Cole Palmer got into an argument with Madueke and Jackson before taking the penalty, as Madueke wanted to take it and Jackson tried to support him by trying to snatch the ball away from Palmer's hands. But eventually, Palmer stood his ground and successfully converted a spot-kick.
"Palmer is the penalty taker. It won't happen again, can't behave like kids again. It's a shame. I told the players this is the last time I will accept this type of behavior. This is not a joke," stated Pochettino after the final whistle.
"I'm the penalty taker. I wanted to take it so I took it. Everyone wants to take responsibility. We ended up laughing and joking about it but the manager has spoken to us about it now", and these were Palmer's words.
Alright, moving on to the main news of the release:
Here's who will replace Xavi
Sport.es
Reliability: 4
Barcelona are no longer looking for a new head coach. According to reports, at the moment the club does not rule out the possibility of Xavi changing his decision to leave Barcelona after the end of the season - the club's president Joan Laporta will gladly support the Spanish coach if he changes his mind about leaving the club, but the manager will have to announce this decision publicly. It is believed that the upcoming battles against PSG in the Champions League and Real Madrid in La Liga will have a key impact on Xavi's future. Meanwhile, Barcelona's preferred option in case Xavi continues to insist on his departure is Rafael Marquez, who is currently in charge of Barça Atletic.
Luis Enrique shocked Barcelona with his statement
uefa.com
PSG head coach Luis Enrique has shared his expectations for the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Barcelona: "We fall, we get up. It's a high-level sport. We must be accustomed to that. We have had time to better prepare our game plan. We want to play our game, under pressure. Barcelona can resort to long balls to Lewandowski and put us under pressure. It’s up to us to handle it to create chances. I believe the match will be similar, with goals from both sides. All the players want to win. PSG have never come back to win after losing the first leg, but tomorrow is the day. We are sure that we can turn it around."
Xavi's words ahead of Barça’s UCL home clash against PSG
uefa.com
Reliability: 5
And here is what Barcelona head coach Xavi said before the match:
‘We need Montjuïc to be a cauldron. It's very important for the club and I'm sure the fans will help us. In head-to-head ties, feelings are important. We have to control ourselves a lot and show the best side and personality of the team. The emotional aspect is key in the playoffs. Luis Enrique and PSG have so many options that you don’t know which variant they will use. We have to understand that we have to have a very clear structure. We will repeat the game, with a few variations. It's all about the players. Our players were at a brilliant level. We have to show a lot of personality to get through to the semi-finals. It will be a brave PSG and we have home advantage, but it will be a very difficult game. We're excited in the good sense of the word."
Here's how Barcelona fans ‘welcomed’ PSG
Sport.es
Reliability: 5
Paris Saint-Germain received a rather harsh welcome from Blaugrana fans upon their arrival in Barcelona. The supporters shouted:
- "F*ck PSG!"
- "Dembélé bast*rd"
- "Dembélé son of a b*tch"
They also prevented the Red and Blues' players from resting in the evening and even at night, making a lot of noise near the hotel where the team was staying.