Barcola tells how he experienced Barça-PSG

In an interview given as part of the Champions League, as the double confrontation against Dortmund approaches, Bradley Barcola comments on his decisive performance during Barça-PSG in the quarter-final second leg.

He is the man who turned the double confrontation on its head. After pushing Ronald Araujo into a red card and assisting Ousmane Dembélé’s 40th-minute equaliser, Bradley Barcola was crucial in Paris Saint-Germain’s stunning 4-1 victory at FC Barcelona in the second quarter-final of the Champions League. In an interview conducted before the semi-final against Dortmund, the young 21-year-old winger looks back on this meeting which he “prepared as usual, without pressure, calmly”.

“I told myself to play my game as usual, I came on the court focused,” recalls Bradley Barcola, who believes it was already the “most important” match of his career.

In the 12th minute, Raphinha opened the scoring for Barça. But, “honestly”, Bradley Barcola assures that he was not that upset. “Not even the slightest doubt,” he assures. “Often, when we concede a goal, I have a reflex to look at my teammates to see their faces. And there I saw no doubt. I didn’t even feel a little fear. It was reassuring. I said to myself: “There, we’re all in the same frame of mind.”

“In the first stage I had a somewhat similar action”

29th minute: Nuno Mendes throws it deep, Ronald Araujo cuts it down and gets red. He says: “I knew that Araujo was going very fast. On this action I told myself to pass in front of him. Because in the first stage I had a slightly similar action but I had not passed well in front So he had caught me there, I told myself I was going to pass right in front of him and I knew he could either make a mistake or I would go one on one.

On the equaliser, Bradley Barcola, served by Vitinha on the left, crosses at the far post for Ousmane Dembélé. “I’m looking for an area” and not a specific player, explains the person applying for a place with the Blues at the Euros. “These crosses are difficult for the goalkeeper and the defenders to handle,” he adds, “As soon as I have this ball, I see that there is a space between the goalkeeper and the defense, it falls to Ousmane.” .

“To go out 4-1, it’s amazing, Bradley Barcola is still enjoying it. It’s a great game, both teams played really well. After the game, you know it was maybe a historic game.”