Barcelona dealt massive blow as duo set to miss UEFA Champions League second leg against PSG
Barcelona will be without Sergi Roberto and Andres Christensen in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
La Blaugrana defeated the Parisians 3-2 in an entertaining first leg at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, April 10. Raphina opened the scoring for Xavi's side in the 37th minute before ex-Barca star Ousmane Dembele hammered one past Marc-Andre Ter Stegen in the 48th minute.
Vitinha gave the home side the lead two minutes later, finding a swift finish to a Fabian Ruiz pass. Raphinha, though, brought his team level with a sublime second in the 62nd minute before Christensen headed home from a corner in the 77th minute.
It was a back-and-forth game where both sides could have scored more. While Barcelona got the win, Xavi would now have to worry about his team's shape in the second leg. Both Roberto and Christensen were booked against PSG and will miss the second leg as a result of yellow card accumulations.
Xavi needs to figure out which player he will place as the defensive midfielder in the second leg. Christensen has often played in that role this season. However, in his absence, Xavi might need to risk Pedri, who came back from an injury to make a substitute appearance in the first leg.
Another option Xavi has is Oriol Romeu. The 32-year-old, though, last played a full game in a Copa del Rey tie against Unionistas.
Pedri makes bold claim after Barcelona's win against PSG
Pedri came on as a second-half substitute against PSG and his return, along with Barcelona's convincing win, should boost Xavi's morale. The 21-year-old midfielder reacted to the Champions League away win.
Pedri claimed that Barca were one of the best teams in the world and also spoke about the feeling of playing in the last eight of the Champions League. Pedri said (via Barca Universal):
"It's been a long time since we've played in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and we've done it one on one. We're one of the best teams in the world and we always have to go out like that, to eat our opponents."
He added:
"The Champions League is complicated, it forces you to go out like that. They put you behind, you have to know how to suffer and score on the chances you get."
Barcelona play PSG in the second leg on April 16. Azulgrana have a La Liga away game before that, against Cadiz on April 13.