‘Disappointed’ Ilkay Gundogan delivers a telling verdict on Ronald Araujo’s red card for Barcelona against PSG


FC Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan offered his opinion after his team's defeat to PSG in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg game at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. 

The Germany international and former Manchester City player spoke from his heart about his disappointment in not advancing to the semis despite winning 3-2 away from home and also gave his honest verdict on Ronald Araujo’s red card that turned the tie in PSG’s favor.

“Disappointed—very disappointed, actually, because we were in such a good position. Not just after the first leg, but after the first goal we scored. Everything was in our hands, and we just gave it away in the most simple manner. We just gave it to PSG, and that’s the most disappointing thing,” he told CBS Sports.

“If he fouled him, I guess it’s a red card. I haven’t seen the replay. It's difficult to say that in these crucial moments, you need to be sure to get the ball, and if you don’t get it (and I don’t know if he touched the ball or not), you have to stay away. I’d prefer to concede the goal there or give the striker a one-v-one even though he played the ball quite far, so I don’t even know if he’d be able to reach the ball. But given the opportunity, maybe let the goalkeeper save us or even concede a goal because to go down one man and get a red card so early in the game just kills the game.”

Gundogan also spoke about Vitinha’s goal from a corner early in the second half that put the Parisians back on level terms in the tie.

“I think we have to step out and don’t let him shoot. He was so free; it’s not something we haven’t trained, to be honest,” he added.

“The closest man to the player on the ball has to step out. We were three vs. three outside after the corner, and Vitinha was the fourth man. Someone had to step out, but no one did or they did too late, and it was a good shot. It was not necessary at all, but it’s too late right now.”

The midfielder’s disappointment is visible to the eyes, and it's even more refreshing to hear his opinion on the game. We all know he's a hardworking player, and his opinions are specifically about improvement.


Simon Kelechi

is a passionate FC Barcelona fan, with a deep love for the beautiful game. Upbarca was born out of my desire to share the latest FC Barcelona news, updates, and insights with fellow fans around the world. Thank you for visiting Upbarca, and I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing!
Visca Barça!

No comments:

Post a Comment