The loss to Paris Saint-Germain truly hurt Barcelona, and in more ways than one. La Blaugrana dreamed of making it to the Champions League semi-finals, but that dream ended abruptly. However, it was a culmination of little details that brought about the demise of Barcelona in that tie.
Much of the focus, particularly after the second leg, was on Ronald Araujo. The Uruguayan defender, one of the Barcelona captains and among Xavi’s most trusted soldiers, was highlighted as being the main factor which led to the crippling of Barcelona against PSG, despite the favorable positions La Blaugrana were in at that time.
The specific incident that caused a lot of uproar and controversy within the Barcelona camp was the challenge made by Araujo on PSG forward Bradley Barcola. Around the 30th minute, for a late challenge on the Frenchman, Araujo was expelled with a red card.
Now, as highlighted by SPORT, Barcola himself has spoken out about the incident for the first team since that win over Barcelona. For him, the challenge was something he saw coming ever since the first leg itself, and he wanted to make the most of it this time around:
“I knew Araujo was very fast, and in that action, I told myself I was going to pass in front of him. Because in the first leg, I had a somewhat similar situation and didn’t manage to do it.”
The Frenchman further highlighted how the situation was a win-win scenario for him against the Barcelona star:
“He caught me there, so I told myself I was going to pass directly in front of him. I knew that could make him make a mistake or leave me one-on-one with the goalkeeper.”
Ultimately, PSG held on at first even after Barcelona got a two-goal lead, but for Barcola and apparently his teammates, at no point did that scare them away from the possibility of a potential comeback as well:
“When we conceded a goal, I have the habit of looking at my teammates to see their faces. And I didn’t see any doubt. I didn’t even feel a little fear. That was reassuring because I told myself that we were still convinced.”
