Barcelona – Barcelona’s Brazil star Neymar says it will be a virtual ‘mission impossible’ for the Spanish giants to progress in the Champions League after its 4-0 first leg demolition by Paris Saint-Germain.
No team has ever come back from a 4-0 first leg deficit to remain in the Champions League and Barcelona is under no illusions about the mountain it has to climb for the second leg of the last 16 clash at Camp Nou on March 8.
“Now we have to think about the return match and see what we can try to do to reverse this situation,” the Brazilian star told journalists.
“But it will be very difficult, practically impossible. However, we can’t give up.”
Barca were totally dominated during the game in which Angel Di Maria scored twice alongside further goals from Julian Draxler and Edinson Cavani in a match Barca coach Luis Enrique dubbed a disaster for the Spaniards.
Neymar poured praise on PSG and said that being hammered was unfamiliar to Barcelona’s galaxy of international stars.
“All credit to PSG,” he said. “This match was atypical, we are not in the habit of finding ourselves in this sort of situation.
“It will be very difficult to prepare for the return match, with a four-goal deficit. I don’t think this has ever happened to me.”
He said that Barcelona had not prepared well for the game but was still surprised by the punishment it received.
“We were not good, we did not do our work as we should have done and we were surprised by this result,” he said.
The joint heaviest defeat in coach Enrique’s three seasons in charge means Barcelona face missing out on the quarter-finals for the first time since losing on away goals to Liverpool in the last 16 in 2006-07.
“It was a disastrous night for us in which we were clearly inferior,” Enrique acknowledged.
Neymar, Lionel Messi and teammates took part in a closed-door training session at Camp Nou earlier on Wednesday to wind down after the PSG defeat. A glum looking trio of Messi, Luis Suarez and Gerard Pique were pictured on the club website taking part in the session.
FRISCO, Texas — With the window for the franchise tag designation opening today, let’s quickly point out that the Dallas Cowboys don’t have a candidate for it in 2017.
In fact, it might be some time before the Cowboys use the tag.
Unless the Cowboys are unable to secure a long-term extension on Zack Martin by the end of the 2018 season, the next possible time the Cowboys could use the tag could be in 2020 for Dak Prescott. Maybe you would put Maliek Collins in that category if he develops the way the Cowboys believe he will.
The last time the Cowboys used the franchise tag was in 2015 when they placed it on Dez Bryant. While the sides were able to agree to a $70 million long-term deal a couple of hours before the deadline, there was regret in using it in the first place.
Bryant was not with the team during the offseason program. He didn’t take part in the offseason program. His only appearance at the June minicamp was as a spectator on the final day. When training camp started, the Cowboys wanted to work Bryant in slowly because of the lack of conditioning work with them. He suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out of the preseason games.
Byron Jones could be the next Cowboys player to receive a tag, but that won’t happen for at least another two years. Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
Bryant suffered a broken foot in the season opener that led to essentially a lost season.
Stephen Jones wished there could have been a do-over, while understanding the process to get to a long-term deal can take time.
The downside of the tag for the team is the high cap figure. The Cowboys had to carry Bryant’s $12.8 million cap figure against their cap once free agency began, which played a part in their decision making in free agency. The downside of the tag for the player is the lack of guaranteed money over a long-term deal.
It can lead to frayed feelings, although the Cowboys and Bryant never got cross with each other.
Ultimately they should avoid a possible contract stalemate with Martin, who is either the best or second-best guard in the NFL.
Of the players set to be unrestricted free agents in 2018, none rise to the franchise tag — or transition tag — designation. Maybe DeMarcus Lawrence could edge into that category with a hugely successful 2017 but he is coming off his second back surgery in as many offseasons and had one sack in 2016.
With the way it is looking now, the Cowboys would pick up the fifth-year option for Byron Jones in 2019 but he could be a franchise-tag possibility if he turns into a takeaway machine at safety.
And that brings us to Prescott. Under league rules, the Cowboys cannot extend his contract until after the 2018 season. If — and there remains an if after just one season — he continues to develop, the Cowboys will look to take care of him before he can sniff the free-agent market the way the Seattle Seahawks did with Russell Wilson.
(For those wondering, because Jaylon Smith spent the year on the non-football injury list, he will be a restricted free agent after the 2020 season, so the Cowboys will have him under contractual control in some form.)
The Cowboys have used the franchise tag just five times on four players: Flozell Adams (2002), Ken Hamlin (2008), Anthony Spencer (2012, 2013) and Bryant (2015).
When the Cowboys have had a franchise quarterback such as Romo or Troy Aikman, they have been more than willing to pay the premium.
If Prescott continues to succeed and develop, there’s no reason to think they won’t pay the premium on him, which would allow them to use the tag on another player after the 2020 season. Maybe that player is Collins, who finished second on the team in sacks in 2016 with five.
In 2012-13 and 2014-15, Barcelona beat Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The two battles featured Spain’s best going up against France’s creme de la creme, as, on both occasions, the Blaugrana went on to win La Liga shortly after, while Les Parisiens went on to conquer Ligue 1.
But times have changed, and when Barcelona pops by PSG on Tuesday in the Champions League’s Round of 16, it will be a fight between two second-place clubs. Luis Enrique’s side finds itself one point behind Real Madrid despite having played two more matches, and Unai Emery’s side is three points behind AS Monaco.
As it stands, a clash involving Barcelona and PSG can’t claim to be the best of what Spanish football and French football offers.
Of course, there will be no shortage of eyes on the 10th meeting between Barcelona and PSG. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar will line up in front of Andres Iniesta at one end of the pitch, and Lucas Moura, Edinson Cavani, and Angel Di Maria will line up in front of Marco Verratti at the other. That much firepower all at once is enough to peak anyone’s interest, and it’s easy to see how the last two quarter-final ties involving the clubs each produced six goals.
But the aura of invincibility surrounding Barcelona and PSG is a thing of the past. It feels appropriate that they meet in the Champions League’s Round of 16, whereas, in recent years, a quarter-final date felt premature.
A visit to Manchester City in the group stage exposed Barcelona’s mortality, illustrating how self-belief and a few minutes of genius from Sergio Aguero is enough to overcome Messi, Suarez, and Neymar. The Blaugrana may have been without Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, and Iniesta, but the victory was proof that opponents are approaching the Catalan club with an inferiority complex.
As for PSG, its group-stage adventure was a mixed bag. Les Parisiens played good football against Arsenal, but manufactured disappointing performances against FC Basel and Ludogorets Razgrad. Lucas missed countless chances, Hatem Ben Arfa was often selfish, and Di Maria looked lost at times. Simply put, Unai Emery’s side doesn’t look capable of winning the Champions League.
The tie will also be missing many of the names from the last time Barcelona and PSG faced off. The Blaugrana no longer possesses Dani Alves or Xavi Hernandez. Les Parisiens no longer boast Yohan Cabaye, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gregory van der Wiel, David Luiz, or Ezequiel Lavezzi. These are players who contributed to the aura of invincibility surrounding the two clubs, and their absences will be felt.
When Barcelona and PSG exit the tunnel at the Camp Nou on Tuesday, they won’t be doing so as shades of its former selves. The two clubs are almost as strong as ever, and they may go on to win La Liga and Ligue 1, respectively. But the circumstances and climate will be significantly different from when they shared the pitch four times in 2014-15, and, whoever emerges as the victor, will not be feared by its quarter-final opponent as would have been the case two years ago.
