Raphinha: We took a lot of risks, but we will advance
Raphinha, Barcelona’s winger, is confident that the Blaugrana will perform better in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan.
Barcelona managed a thrilling 3-3 draw against Inter Milan in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. Barcelona fell behind twice in the match but ultimately equalized.
The last goal for Barcelona, which secured the draw, should have been credited to Raphinha after his spectacular strike, but a deflection off Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer resulted in it being recorded as an own goal.
Raphinha spoke after the match: “Playing at home is a different feeling, and I believe we could have achieved a better result. Conceding so many goals at home is unacceptable, but we must respect Inter—they performed very well. Set-pieces are their strength. The important thing is that we left this match with a result that keeps everything open for the second leg. We will be much better prepared to advance.”
On trailing 0-2 during the match: “Despite the deficit, we kept our composure and tried to recover. We played our game. Maybe we took too many risks, but our goal was a positive result, and our duty is to win at home. This result is not the worst possible. We will fight to advance in the second leg.”
On Lamine Yamal’s performance: “Everyone knows what kind of player Lamine is and his quality. It would have been much better if we could have celebrated his 100th game with a win.”
On his goal-scoring attempt: “Long-range shots are one of my strengths. I tried to put the ball in the frame, and it happened.”