Ilkay Gundogan has accused team-mate Ronald Araujo of 'killing' Barcelona's Champions League hopes - and taken a thinly-veiled swipe at Robert Lewandowski.
Barca were dumped out at the quarter-final stage on Tuesday when after increasing their advantage to 4-2 on aggregate, Araujo was shown a straight red card which turned the tie on its head. The Uruguayan defender was sent for an early bath when PSG forward Bradley Barcola profited from Araujo's misplaced pass, and when the Barcelona centre-back attempted to make amends, he dragged the Frenchman down as the last man back.
The score was still 1-0 on the night, though, with Barca backed by a home crowd at the Montjuic as well as boasting a two-goal cushion following last week's 3-2 win in Paris and Raphinha's 12th-minute opener in the second-leg. But despite being able to regroup at half-time once Ousmane Dembele had pulled one back for PSG, the La Liga giants collapsed within minutes of the restart.
Former Wolves loanee Vitinha levelled the scores on aggregate with a superb long-range strike, one which Barcelona's star striker, Lewandowski, only gave a half-hearted attempt at blocking. After a corner was taken short, the Pole ambled out towards Vitinha as the midfielder lined up his shot.
Lewandowski raised one leg while turning away in a failed effort to stop the ball from nestling past Marc-Andre ter Stegen and into the Barca goalkeeper's bottom right-hand corner. Soon after, Joao Cancelo recklessly tackled former Barcelona star Dembele just inside the penalty area, with referee Istvan Kovacs having no option but to point to the spot.
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Superstar Kylian Mbappe ruthlessly converted and later sealed PSG's place in the semi-finals with an 89th-minute clincher. Post-match, a dejected Gundogan criticised his team-mates, making no bones about who was to blame.
"I am disappointed. Very disappointed actually as we were in such a good position," the German, who lifted the Champions League with Manchester City last season, told CBS Sports.
Your turn! Are Ilkay Gundogan's comments wise? Let us know your stance in the comments section.
Ronald Araujo was sent off in the first half, changing the course of the tie (FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)"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 of manners. We just gave it to Paris Saint-Germain and that's the most disappointing part."
Gundogan then spoke about Araujo's sending off, suggesting that his team-mate should've let Barcola shoot instead of risking an early dismissal. "You know, in these kind of crucial moments you need to be sure to get the ball," the ex-City playmaker added.
"If you don't, and again I don't know if he touched the ball or not, you need to stay away. I would prefer to concede a goal there or give the striker 1v1.
"Although, the ball was played quite far ahead so I don't even know if he would have reached the ball. But, maybe let our goalkeeper save us or even concede a goal because to go a player down so early on just kills your game."
Robert Lewandowski failed to stop Vitinha's shot which got PSG level on aggregate (JOSEP LAGO/AFP via Getty Images)Then focusing on Vitinha's goal, Gundogan didn't mention Lewandowski by name but gave a strong hint that Barca's No.9 was to blame. "Again, it's another mistake. We have to step out there," Gundogan, who like Lewandowski would've faced former club Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals, bemoaned.
"We can't let him shoot because he was so free. It wasn't anything we haven't trained before. The closest player to the ball has to step out. We were three with three and Vitinha was the fourth man.
"Someone has to step out. No one did or they did it too late. It was a good shot and they got their second goal. But, it wasn't necessary at all. It's too late right now."
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Tuesday wasn't the first time we've seen Gundogan publicly criticise his team-mates since joining the Blaugrana last summer. Following their dramatic 2-1 defeat at home to arch-rivals Real Madrid in October, the 33-year-old admitted he was surprised by his team-mates' reaction in the dressing room. Next up for Barcelona is round two of El Clasico this Sunday, with Gundogan and co well aware that another loss would hand surely the Spanish title over to Madrid.
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