Gordon says Paris Saint-Germain’s fitness edge decided Barcelona defeat

Anthony Gordon says the atmosphere in the Barcelona dressing room remains positive despite their 4-2 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

The English forward said he was proud of the character the players showed during a demanding week and insisted the team was focused on building on its strong start to the season.

Asked by ESPN about the mood at Barcelona following the loss in Paris, Gordon said: “The atmosphere is still the same. We made a historic start to the season and we are looking forward to continuing what we started.”

The defeat was Barcelona’s first in all competitions this season, ending a run of domestic and European victories.

Gordon acknowledged that Paris Saint-Germain had been the better side physically over the course of the match, despite Barcelona competing strongly for long periods.

“It was difficult to lose to Paris Saint-Germain because it was a very good game, and we were competitive for long periods,” he said.

“But I felt they were able, physically, to maintain their level of performance for longer than we were.”

The England international also pointed to the contrasting schedules faced by the two teams before the Champions League fixture.

“However, I think there were some circumstances that need to be taken into consideration,” Gordon added. “They gave their players rest before facing us, while we had an extremely difficult week, whether because of travelling, the matches or some other things that people do not know about.”

Gordon said those difficulties made the team’s response particularly impressive and praised the mentality shown by the squad throughout the week.

“I think the character we showed during that week was exceptional, and among the best things you can see from a team,” he said.

“So I am very proud of what we achieved during that week and of our start to the season in general. We are looking forward to continuing to work in the same way.”