Paris, Feb 17: Paris Saint Germain’s Spanish coach Unai Emery on Friday said his team could still eliminate Real Madrid from the UEFA Champions League despite the unfavourable result in their round-of-16 first leg.
The Ligue 1 powerhouse was tied at 1-1 with the home side seven minutes before the final whistle, but the defending champion, Real Madrid, managed to score two goals to earn a 3-1 win, reported Efe.
“This year, we have won all our home matches. Also, we defeated Bayern (Munich 3-0 in Sep. 2017) and Barcelona (4-0 in Feb. 2017). I have been thinking about that and I am convinced that we will get through,” Emery said at the press conference ahead of Saturday’s league match against Strasbourg.
Emery also reminded the press of the 4-1 win PSG earned against Real Madrid in the 1992-93 UEFA Cup.
The Spanish coach praised Gianluca Rocchi, the referee in the second leg of the tie.
Asked about Brazilian forward Neymar’s performance against Real Madrid, Emery said: “He played a great match. If he improves some tiny details (in the second leg), he will prove himself to be a great player.”