Paris Saint-Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti has slammed Alexis Sanchez after the Barcelona attacker won a late penalty in the 2-2 draw at Parc des Princes on Tuesday.
The
Chilean was brought down by Salvatore Sirigu late on with the scores
level at 1-1, allowing Xavi to notch a second away goal before Blaise
Matuidi's last-gasp equaliser.
Although replays showed there was
contact between the players, Ancelotti insists the referee made an
incorrect call, but claimed he is used to the former Udinese winger
attempting to earn fouls.
"Alexis looked for the goalkeeper, it was not a penalty," he told Canal + after the match. "It was a gift from the referee.
"We have experience with Alexis, in the friendly in August he also dived. We know him. He likes to dive. It is nothing new."
The
Italian went on to praise his side's resolve on the night, insisting
they proved they can compete at Barcelona's level ahead of the return
leg at Camp Nou.
"It was a good game. We played well in the first
few minutes but it got complicated. We used a lot of energy to level
the score," he continued.
"We have opportunities for the return
game. It is still open, even if it will not be easy. We showed that we
can compete against Barca. We will have to score twice there. We did it
tonight, let's do it the same way in the second leg."
Director of
football Leonardo voiced his own admiration for the team's display, and
paid particular tribute to the tactics deployed by Ancelotti on the
night.
"We are very, very proud. We conceded when we were at our
best in the game, and to come back in the game against Barcelona is not
easy.
"Carlo was amazing today. He studied Barcelona hard, and
it is true that if you look at the game, we had a nearly perfect
strategy. We had one goal when we were the best. But if you leave a few
millimeters to [Lionel] Messi, this is what happens.
"I believe
that after all we've been through in the past few months, today is truly
a wonderful thing, because it is not easy to build a team. We are very
proud of our game, our behaviour, our approach to the game.
"It is true that it is very difficult there [at Camp Nou]. But you never know. With this spirit, we'll try everything."
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