"I will do my best to stay here" - Barcelona star makes vow about his future after heroics against PSG in UCL
Barcelona winger Raphinha has insisted he'll do his best to stay with the Blaugrana after hitting a brace in a 3-2 win against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Raphinha was man-of-the-match as Barca beat the Parisians at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Wednesday (April 10). His double ensured the La Liga giants have their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie in their hands heading into the second leg on April 16.
The 27-year-old opened the scoring in the 37th minute with a fine finish as PSG failed to clear their lines. The Brazilian winger hit Barcelona's equalizer to make it 2-2 in the 62nd minute with an audacious volley after linking up with Pedri.
Raphinha was delighted with the win and his brace amid, what has been, somewhat of a difficult season with the Catalan giants. There has been speculation over his future with the Blaugrana willing to listen to offers to ease their financial situation.
However, Raphinha has affirmed that he wants to and will do his utmost to stay with Barcelona. He said (via transfer expert Fabrizio Romano):
"It’s special night for me. I still have more years on my contract and I plan to fulfill them. I will do my best to stay here at Barca for many years!"
Raphinha has appeared 30 times across competitions this season, bagging eight goals and 10 assists. He's recently moved to the left flank to accommodate Barca's breakout star Lamine Yamal but is still making an impact.
Barcelona boss Xavi proud of his side's hard-fought victory against PSG
Barcelona will host PSG in the second leg at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys next Tuesday. They sealed a comeback victory in the 77th minute when second-half substitute Andreas Christensen headed home an astute Ilkay Gundogan corner.
The Blaugrana were extremely impressive defensively with Jules Kounde keeping Kylian Mbappe quiet. Pau Cubarsi continued his breakout season with a fine display in the centre of defense next to Ronald Araujo.
Xavi expressed his pride in his team's performance at the Parc des Princes and how they never gave up. He said (via Football Espana):
"We defended well against a difficult team to play against. We prepared well, and I'm proud of the collective work of the team."
The Spaniard who is leaving Barca in the summer added:
"We are halfway there (to reaching the semi-finals). We must be proud of the game we have played. PSG is a great team. It’s time to say that Barcelona is alive. The victory generates excitement among our fans."
Barcelona will turn their attention to La Liga on Saturday (April 13) when they face Cadiz. It will be interesting to see if Xavi makes changes for that game ahead of the second leg.