German footballer Ilkay Gündogan, FC Barcelona midfielder, said this Friday that “especially the youngest” of the culé squad can learn from the recent disappointment in the Champions League, including elimination against Paris Saint-Germain, with the purpose of ” use it as motivation to do better next year.”
“I think all the frustration and disappointment that comes with that game is also something you can use. Every player, and especially the younger ones, can use it as motivation to improve next year, to have that experience in your pocket,” said Gündogan. during an interview with the official Barça media.
“Next year, when you find yourself in similar circumstances, then you will realize what it is you want to do; last year this happened or we did this, we did that… And now you can use it to try to avoid previous mistakes that maybe you committed. I have played in the Champions League throughout my career, I think 12 seasons, or maybe more, I don’t know; and I have only won it once,” he added.
Their 1-4 defeat in Montjüic left Barça out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals. “The important thing is that a match like PSG’s can happen. It is normal, especially in a team like ours, with young and perhaps not so experienced players, especially in this competition, where they have not had many qualifiers. If you look at previous qualifiers “, like against Naples or also the first leg in Paris, we actually did quite well,” he highlighted.
After PSG, now the Blaugranas will play against Real Madrid on matchday 32 of LaLiga EA Sports. “The feeling right now is already looking forward to the Classic. I think football is sometimes curious because just two days ago we suffered a tough defeat, on a very frustrating and disappointing night, but now you have a great, great game ahead of you.” , one of the most important in European football,” he indicated.
“You can feel that the Clásico is very special, to be honest. I already felt it in the Montjüic game a few months ago and in the Spanish Super Cup that we played in Saudi Arabia. You can feel a different atmosphere and tension in that game, which It’s amazing. It’s a privilege to play it, and obviously play it for Barça too,” he added.
He also described it as a “great privilege” to score his first goal for Barça “in such an important match”, in reference to the League Classic on matchday 11. “I wish it had been a better result at the end of the day, obviously with the defeat that goal means less because we couldn’t get the three points. I would have preferred not to score and get the three points, of course. I remember that we had many opportunities, especially in the first half, to score a second or even a third, but we didn’t do it,” he said. remembered the duel of October 28.
“I think that’s exactly the key. To try to win against Madrid, first of all you have to take advantage of your opportunities; and then you also have to try to limit the opportunities you give them to a minimum. Because they, I have to say, have quality; and if they have just one chance, even a small one, that becomes a goal,” he finally warned.