Ter Stegen braces Barca for La Liga title bid after Champions League exit

Barcelona goalkeeper Ter Stegen said that Tuesday's 4-1 Champions League quarter-final exit to PSG "hurts" because "it gives the feeling" that they could have qualified.

"Right now is not the right time to think about Sunday. We need to rest, recharge our batteries to get back to our best, especially mentally, so we can refocus on what we need to do. In the end, this defeat hurts because it gives the feeling that we could have gone through," the goalkeeper summed up.

Speaking in the mixed zone at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Ter Stegen said that the final result reflects the game: "In the end we had everything close, although the result says the opposite, we can't deny it. We had some important chances when we were reduced to ten men and we couldn't capitalise on them".

"The sending off affected us, because with 10 players it was a different game. We had everything in our favour. In the 40th minute they equalised with a great goal. We would have liked to have reached half-time with a two-goal lead, at least to compete even better. In the end we had to open up, especially at 3-1," he said.

Ter Stegen stated that now "what we have to do is compete in La Liga". "We're going to try to make it as difficult as possible for Madrid. Hopefully the difference will be less after Sunday's game," he added.