Raphinha says Barcelona will not lose confidence after their 4-2 Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain, insisting they competed well despite failing to take their chances.
Barcelona were beaten away from home in the third round of the Champions League group stage, with Raphinha telling TNT Sports Mexico that the scoreline did not fully reflect the match.
“No, I don’t think the score reflects what actually happened in the match,” said the Brazil forward. “I believe it was a very evenly contested game, and we played very competitively.”
Barcelona created several opportunities, particularly during the first half, but were less clinical than Paris Saint-Germain in front of goal.
“We also had chances to score – we just weren’t as clinical as they were,” Raphinha added. “Honestly, it was quite an exciting match.”
He said the nature of the game meant the final score could have been very different.
“Obviously, anything can happen in such a game. There could be a big scoreline, or very few goals,” he said. “But ultimately, it’s a battle between two teams that both want more possession and both want to score goals.”
When asked whether Barcelona might have secured a different result had they converted their early chances, Raphinha acknowledged that missed opportunities had proved costly.
“Yes, ultimately we did feel the result could have been different,” he said. “But as I said, in a game like this, if you don’t score and your opponent is more clinical in front of goal, this kind of situation happens.”
Despite the loss, Raphinha rejected the suggestion that Barcelona’s performance should undermine their belief ahead of Sunday’s home meeting with Real Madrid.
“I think we performed well and played very competitively, and this won’t shake our confidence,” he said. “I think we are fully prepared.”
The forward said the defeat was not evidence that Barcelona had played badly, and that setbacks of this kind could happen to any team.
“But I don’t think we played badly in this match, and we certainly won’t lose confidence because of it,” Raphinha said. “I think we’re in good form.”
Asked whether the importance of Sunday’s El Clasico was greater because of the Champions League result, he said the two matches carried the same significance for him.
“It’s all the same to me, no difference,” he said. “Whether it’s the Champions League or the league, it’s the same. We’re competing in both competitions.”
“Today we dropped three points – that’s fine. Based on our performance in this match, we still maintain our original confidence.”
Raphinha also had a message for Barcelona’s supporters before the match against Real Madrid.
“We’re in good form and very confident, and we will give our all on Sunday,” he said.
