Barcelona v PSG: Xavi 'really proud' of Yamine Lamal and Pau Cubarsi's impact ahead of Champions League showdown
ByTNT Sports
Published 15/04/2024 at 18:30 GMT+1
Xavi Hernandez has heaped praise on Barcelona La Masia graduates Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi. Both teenagers have been major contributors to Barcelona's 13-game unbeaten streak in all competitions and the duo are expected to feature again when the Liga champions host Paris Saint-Germain in their UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg on Tuesday night - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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Barcelona head coach Xavi says the Liga club are "alive" with teenagers Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi both regular starters in his team ahead of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona are currently in a rich vein of form with the Catalan giants on a 13-game unbeaten streak in all competitions and currently hold a slender one-goal advantage heading into the second leg in Spain after a 3-2 win over PSG in Paris last Wednesday.
Yamal, 16, and Cubarsi, 17, have both played influential roles in Barcelona's recent good form, with the academy-produced duo fast becoming regular names in Xavi's starting XI.
Xavi says he is "really proud" of the forward Yamal and defender Cubarsi, who have both come through the club's world-renowned La Masia academy to stamp their authority on the first team.
"I think they are ready to compete," he told TNT Sports. "They've showed until now a big personality with 16, Lamine and 17, Cubarsi.
"I'm really proud because we are competing with some teenagers so it's important for the club.
"The club is alive and I think we have present and future. I'm really proud of these kind of players."
In the first leg at the Parc des Princes, the hosts scored two goals in two minutes through Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha to take a 2-1 lead, before Raphinha's second of the night and a goal from Andreas Christensen with his first touch off the bench in the 77th minute gave Barca a narrow lead.
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After a frenetic first leg, Xavi has called for his side to "show personality" in front of the home crowd and look at ways they can break down PSG's "high" defensive line.
"We need to organise the team well," he said. "Attack well, defend well and in my opinion the key point is to be a team.
"It's very important for us. We are ready, excited to compete with one of the best teams in my opinion in the world, one of the best coaches in the world.
"I think the key is that we compete as a team. We were a team during these 13 games and we cannot change right now.
"It's the moment to compete as a team, show personality. I think we are in the best moment of the season but in football you never know what will happen, but we are excited and ready to compete well.
"Unbeaten in 13 games gives us more confidence. We are in the best moment, hopefully tomorrow we can continue this kind of result.
"We need to defend more or less exactly the same. Let's see about the PSG system tomorrow but we need to be a team. We organised well in defence the team in attack especially in the defensive line. Normally PSG play with a high defensive line so we need to reach these spaces."
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Barcelona have not qualified for the semi-final stage of the Champions League since the 2018-19 season when they squandered a 3-0 lead in the first leg by losing 4-0 to Liverpool at Anfield in the second.
Xavis says it would be an "amazing step" for Barcelona to qualify for the last four of the Champions League for the first time in five years.
"I think we need to show our best level but also personality to qualify for the semi-final," he said.
"It would be an amazing step for the club because we didn't qualify for the semi-final stage for five years. It's a big opportunity for us. Hopefully we can reach this opportunity."
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