Barcelona clueless, and Luis Enrique takes the blame

Agencies | Updated: 2017-02-16 09:38

Barcelona clueless, and Luis Enrique takes the blame

Paris Saint-Germain's Javier Pastore and Presnel Kimpembe celebrate after the game, Feb 14, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Barcelona, of course, still has a chance to overturn the deficit in the second leg on March 8 at the Camp Nou. But if not, it will be the first time in a decade that the Catalan team has failed to reach the quarterfinals.

"It's going to be difficult, almost impossible, but we will try to make it happen," Neymar said.

Barcelona never really looked comfortable against PSG, and the resounding defeat caused Luis Enrique to lose his cool in a post-match interview — a rarity in his career.

He said he was not happy with "the tone" of a reporter from a local television channel who asked about the team's failure to improve after halftime.

"I accept full responsibility, but I would like to see this same treatment when we win the matches," Luis Enrique said. "I would like to see you maintain this same personal treatment that I'm seeing now in the interviews after we win."The last time Barcelona failed to advance past the last 16 of the Champions League was in 2006-07, when it was eliminated by Liverpool. It has won three Champions League titles in the last eight seasons, and it reached the semifinals in seven of the last nine years.

Eight out of 10 might be a goal too far.