PSG manager admits he doesn’t want to face Barça in UCL Round of 16 | OneFootball

The league phase of the UEFA Champions League concluded last night, with all of the teams finishing their eight matches.

Barcelona finished second in the overall standings following a 2-2 draw with Atalanta on the night. The Catalans could have finished top if they were able to secure a win against the Italians.

However, while Barcelona secured automatic qualification for the Round 16 stage, the same cannot be said for their great European rivals, including Paris Saint-Germain.

Luis Enrique on facing Barcelona

PSG finished 15th in the table despite securing a convincing 4-1 win over Stuttgart. This, of course, meant that PSG face the prospect of facing Barcelona or Liverpool once they qualify for the Round of 16 stage.

Speaking to the press after the game, their coach Luis Enrique was even asked about PSG’s opponents in the knockout rounds.

Enrique, though, admitted that he is not looking forward to the idea of facing neither Barcelona nor Liverpool.

Luis Enrique is not too keen on facing Barcelona (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

When asked about the prospect of facing Liverpool and Barcelona in the Round of 16 stage, Enrique replied (h/t FCB World), “No no, Barcelona no, and Liverpool neither.”

Enrique’s fear of facing Barça is hardly surprising as the Catalans have played flawless football in European competitions this season.

They have scored goals for fun and have looked quite unbeatable on their day, as evidenced in their entertaining win over Benfica recently.

PSG, meanwhile, won’t have to deal with the immediate prospect of facing Barcelona. In fact, Enrique’s men will have to go through a knockout playoff, where they will be pitted against SL Benfica.

Barcelona, on the other hand, will await the results of the knockout playoffs before gearing themselves for the Round of 16 stage – potentially against PSG.