Former captain Pauleta shows confidence in PSG's comeback

Former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) captain Pauleta has called fans to stick together with the capital football club, and expressed his confidence in their comeback following their humiliating 1-6 loss to FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.

PSG suffered a 1-6 loss to Barcelona in the return leg of UEFA Champions League last-16 last Wednesday, becoming the first side to have been eliminated from the knockout stage after winning 4-0 in the first leg, reports Xinhua news agency.

The reigning Ligue 1 champions have bounced back with a 2-1 away victory over bottom side Lorient in last weekend's 29th round of the French league action.

"It's not the time to cry, and we need to stick together," the former Portugal star, who played for PSG between 2003-2008, told the club's website.

Pauleta expressed his sadness after watching his former club become a part of history in such a surprising manner, while admitting the uncertainty of football matches.

"It's just football. It can hurt, but the most important thing is stay focused on what you are heading to," he said, adding that the team still have three titles to compete for this season.

"Looking for excuses and pointing fingers will not do good at all. We need to win together, and lose together," Pauleta pointed out.

PSG have turned their attention to the crucial clash with fourth-ranked Lyon on Sunday, as the latter proved their attacking potential recently with six of their past seven games saw them score at least four goals. Lyon's attacking prowess brought Pauleta's memory back to his matchups against a tough Lyon side as a player.

"It's a big match against a great team. When I was playing, it was tough to put games in our control against Lyon. I hope the team can beat the Lyon side with a good performance this time," Pauleta said.

--IANS

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