PSG 4-0 Barcelona: Luis Enrique accepts the blame for Champions League horror show
KEY POINTS
- The La Liga champions are now on the brink of elimination at the round of 16 stage.
- Angel di Maria (x2), Julian Draxler and Edinson Cavani scored in 4-0 rout.
Luis Enrique insists he must take responsibility for Barcelona's humiliating Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Two goals from Angel di Maria and one apiece from Julian Draxler and Edinson Cavani sealed an emphatic 4-0 victory for Unai Emery's side in the first leg of their last 16 clash at Parc des Princes on Tuesday night (14 February).
The loss is Barcelona's joint-heaviest defeat in European competition in their long 118-year history. It also leaves them in need of a miracle if they wish to progress into the quarter-finals of the competition, with no side in Champions League history ever to come back from a 4-0 deficit in the first leg.
While Neymar was perhaps the only Barcelona player to emerge with his reputation still intact after a dreadful night in the French capital, Enrique shouldered the blame for a wretched performance.
"It was a disastrous night," Enrique said post-match, Marca report. "PSG were better than us with and without the ball. The results clearly reflects what happened and I don't need to be the one to tell the fans that."
He continued: "Let's not waste time with easy topics. This is a passionate sport and there are always complications. The match was my responsibility. If you have to point fingers and single some out, that is me as the coach, since these are the same players that win on other days."
Enrique also revealed he had tried to implement a slight tactical tweak he felt would allow Lionel Messi more freedom - but admitted it didn't work.
"The press doesn't watch matches very closely," Enrique continued. "We switched from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 so Messi could get on the ball more, but it ended up like this all the same."
PSG dominated the first leg of their tie with former Manchester United star di Maria opening the scoring after just 18 minutes with a sumptuous free kick.
A mistake from the hugely underwhelming Messi allowed Marco Verratti to tee up Draxler for PSG's second, with di Maria adding his second of the night after 55 minutes, beating Marc-Andre ter Stegen with a sensational effort from range.
After 71 minutes, Belgium international Thomas Meunier was given the freedom of the pitch to march upfield and spring Cavani free, who drove home his seventh goal of this season's competition to wrap up the win.
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