Barcelona were again painfully humbled in the Champions League as the tottering Catalan giants were dealt a 4-1 hiding on home soil by an in-form Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their last 16 showdown.<\/p>\n
After the match, everything that Ronald Koeman could say had already been made crystal clear by his side\u2019s appalling display in being bludgeoned by the much superior Parisien club at Camp Nou driven by a Kylian Mbappe tour de force<\/em>. Effectively their Champions League dream looks consigned to the ashes for another year or even much longer.<\/p>\n Following last season\u2019s 8-2 quarter-final desecration by an invincible Bayern Munich and 2019\u2019s 4-0 Anfield collapse against Liverpool, this was another totally lacklustre display as the Blaugrana were easily dismantled by Paris Saint-Germain.<\/p>\n The Blaugrana were eclipsed for much of the match against a sharper, stronger, shrewder opponent in what could well be Messi\u2019s final European match on home soil as a Barcelona player.<\/p>\n When asked whether the defeat was a \u201creality check\u201d post-game, Koeman admitted:<\/p>\n “They were better, they were very effective. Especially [Kylian] Mbappe.<\/p>\n “I could lie but at 4-1 there’s hardly any chance of going through.<\/p>\n “They’re a side that has already been put together and we are in transition. We must improve in the areas where we’re lacking. That’s my responsibility.<\/p>\n “The first half was very close and Ousmane [Dembele] had a clear chance at 1-0, but we had defensive problems in the second half.<\/p>\n “Yes [it was a reality check], in the second half. We have to admit that they were better. They have a more complete team than we do.<\/p>\n “We have to accept it and move on. We know that these things can happen. Their team are ahead of ours.”<\/p>\n The humbling defeat was clearly a bitter pill to swallow for a Barcelona head coach but at least there were no signs of denial.<\/p>\n Koeman insists expectations need altering in Catalunya – despite himself saying pre-game that Barca are a match for anyone – and that time is required.<\/p>\n “You always have to aspire to win everything, but we have to recognise that we’re short in certain areas,” the Barca boss added.<\/p>\n “I have said several times that we’re on the right path, but we lack things. [Sergino] Dest at 20, in four years will be better. Pedri at his age is already brilliant, but in five years he will be better than any PSG midfielder.<\/p>\n “It’s tough, especially with the [demands] from the press. But I am realistic.<\/p>\n \u201cI always defend my team. We did everything. We can defend better; we can be more aggressive and we’re going to change that and work on it.<\/p>\n “We lack things, sure, but I have never thought before this game that we didn’t. It’s not the end of the path. It seems I am more realistic than everyone else.”<\/p>\n “If I was someone who gets happy when we win and then after a result like today said I had no desire to continue, that would be crazy.<\/p>\n “I know where I am and what we have to change. We’re trying. We’re not at the end of the path yet, we’re halfway down it.”<\/p>\n Unfortunately, that path is now beginning to look like a path heading nowhere in particular right now.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"