Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc is confident his team can mount a comeback against Barcelona on Tuesday, although he remains realistic.
The Ligue 1 outfit trail Barca 3-1 after the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash at the Parc des Princes last week, while Blanc admits it will be difficult to keep a clean sheet against Luis Enrique’s men.
“We’ve got to score goals and we’ll get the opportunities to do so, but to score and not concede at the Camp Nou is almost impossible and you have to be realistic,” Blanc told reporters.
“However, we are going to play our own game and demonstrate we are better than we showed in the first leg. We can’t say we are going to win 3-0 but we will be determined to get a good result.
“Everyone is asking me if we believe we can do it and the answer is yes. We know it’s a very tough task but we’ve had plenty of time to prepare for this game and have nothing to lose.”
Blanc dismisses talk of revenge for the defeat in Paris and concedes the Catalans are past masters at keeping control of the ball.
“Revenge is something I don’t like talking about because this is football. Barca always have the monopoly of the ball and have dominated us in that sense. In the group stages they besieged us in the last 15 minutes of our home game.
“In that regard they are the strongest team in Europe, but if we have situations on the counter-attack like we did in Paris I believe we can be more efficient and there will be a better outcome.
“There is a difference between the teams, but it’s not huge. Everyone knows Barca have exceptional players and they are fortunate to have them, as when they are not there you notice their importance.
“Barca are a great club that has won the Champions League on several occasions. PSG are in the process of building a fantastic team, which Barca already are,” he argued.
