‘First for us’ – PSG winger says beating Barcelona will not be a ‘favour’ for his ex-club Real Madrid

As time winds down, Barcelona gear up to face their biggest challenge this season, with PSG awaiting them in the Champions League quarters.

The Parisians possess individuals who are well-acquainted with Barcelona, as Luis Enrique and Ousmane Dembele will be playing against their former team.

But another familiar face will be returning, and that is Marco Asensio. Although he never plied his trade for the Catalans, his endeavors with Real Madrid saw him frequently face off against Barça.

Now, he has a chance to make his former team Real Madrid proud by potentially getting the better of Barcelona at this stage of the tournament.

Asensio opens up about the clash

The 28-year-old forward was asked if he would be doing Real Madrid a favor by eliminating Barcelona from the knockout round.

“The first favor will be for us, we’re the ones who want to qualify,” he replied, as quoted by AS.

“We’re very excited, and we’re already preparing for the game, we’re playing the first leg at home, and it’s very important that we get a good result with our fans who support us a lot.”

Despite his ties with the Merengues, understandably, his primary objective would be for PSG to secure qualification and win their first-ever Champions League title.

And he emphasized the fact that the first leg will be played at the Parc des Princes, which will be a huge test for Barcelona given the stadium’s hostile environment.

Asensio started PSG’s last game in Ligue 1 but has been used sparingly in the starting XI by Luis Enrique, which indicates he will be benched for the clash.

Nonetheless, Barcelona should be wary in case he is handed minutes off the bench, as Asensio can be a major threat from range.

Moreover, the Spaniard previously scored two great goals against Barcelona in the 2017 Spanish Super Cup final.