Raphinha says Barcelona will not be shaken by PSG loss ahead of El Clasico

Raphinha has played down Barcelona’s 4-2 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain, insisting the result will not affect Sunday’s El Clasico.

Paris Saint-Germain secured an impressive victory over Barcelona at the Parc des Princes in the third round of the league phase of the Champions League.

Raphinha, Barcelona’s captain, was the first of the club’s players to speak after the heavy defeat, according to Mundo Deportivo. He acknowledged the difficulty of the match, particularly playing away from home.

“We knew this could happen because we were facing the European champions twice, and playing in front of their supporters is extremely difficult,” he said.

The Brazil forward admitted Barcelona had hoped to take something from the game but said the defeat should be kept in perspective.

“We wanted to win or at least get a point, but it is not the end of the world,” Raphinha said. “Everything happens at the right time and, in the end, we have only lost three points.”

He has already turned his attention to Barcelona’s next fixture, with the club due to face Real Madrid in the Clasico on Sunday.

“We will see what the manager asks of us so that we can improve our performance and prepare for the Clasico,” he said.

Despite the scoreline, Raphinha felt Barcelona had competed well against a strong Paris Saint-Germain side. He also highlighted the similarities between the two teams, particularly their preference for controlling possession.

“This is a well-coached team,” he said. “Despite today’s result, we competed strongly. Both teams prefer to have the ball, and we had possession, which made it a good test and showed our ability to compete. The result is what it is, but we played well.”

Raphinha also explained that his limited involvement had been planned. He had returned to action after training for less than a week and was substituted in the 60th minute.

“In the end, I had trained for less than a week, and this had been planned. I played fewer minutes,” he said.

The 60-minute appearance left him feeling positive about his fitness.

“I finished the match feeling good and strong, and I am trying to improve my fitness further,” he added.

Raphinha was more cautious when asked about the condition of team-mate Dani Olmo, who left the match injured.

“I do not know what happened to Dani. We will speak with the manager and the doctor to find out what happened,” he said.

Asked whether the defeat could influence Barcelona’s meeting with Real Madrid, Raphinha gave a brief response: “It will not affect us at all.”