Xavi Hernández: 'PSG have a team made to win the Champions League'

A great night is just around the corner with Barça set to take on Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, unknown territory for the blaugranes since 2020. "After four years without being in the quarter-finals, the word is excitement. We are looking forward to a great tie and being in the semi-finals," explained Xavi Hernández in his press conference ahead of Wednesday's first leg in the Parc des Princes stadium. 

"We are really motivated seeing how the players are training and competing," continued Xavi before admitting that his team were up against one of the favourites. "PSG have a team made to win the Champions League and they have one of the best coaches in the world, Luis Enrique." 

Just as defender Jules Kounde's press conference was dominated by talk of Kylian Mbappé, that of Xavi centred around the words of his opposite number Luis Enrique in his pre-game press conference in which he spoke of being a more Barça style manager than his counterpart. The current blaugrana boss, who spent seven years with Luis Enrique at Barça during the Asturian's playing and managerial time at the Club, responded with praise: "I have a great relationship with him and all the respect in the world. We are both looking for the same thing." 

Moreover, Xavi pointed out that four of the coaches in the last eight all have a blaugrana past: "We can say that Luis Enrique, Guardiola, Arteta and myself all have Barça DNA." 

About a favourite in the tie, Xavi was clear. "I think PSG are favourites because they took one of our best players," said the Barça coach referring to Ousmane Dembélé whom he tried to convince to stay at Barça last summer. "They have Mbappé, Dembélé, Kolo Muani, Vitinha..." continued the blaugrana coach before adding: "We have to avoid their counter attacks, being aware and at our very best defensively." 

The defence will be key to the tie for the Barça boss. "Luis Enrique's teams are perhaps the most intense that there are. I have played under him," admitted Xavi before remembering the 2014/15 when he won the treble under the Asturian coach in his final season as a blaugrana player. "It was a difficult season at the start but then it all came together and ended in spectacular fashion with the treble and lifting the Champions League trophy as captain. I think I helped him a lot at a difficult tie," he concluded.