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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Sergiño Dest back in starting lineup in Barcelona’s Champions League defeat

The United States international returned to the starting XI for the first time since 9 January in Barcelona’s 4-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

Estados UnidosUpdate:
Sergiño Dest back in starting lineup in Barcelona’s Champions League defeat

The last time Sergiño Dest was in the starting lineup for FC Barcelona was on 9 January against Granada CF for matchday 18 of LaLiga. Then he would miss the next three league games due to a muscular problem and he even missed the Copa del Rey match against Sevilla last week.

Barcelona’s head coach Ronald Koeman didn’t want to risk Sergiño Dest so he could be fit to play against Paris Saint-Germain for the first leg of the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League at the Camp Nou. So when Koeman received the green light from the medical staff, Sergiño Dest played 18 minutes in Barça’s 5-1 victory against Alavés for matchday 23 of LaLiga last weekend.

The 22-year-old returned to the starting lineup to face PSG, but there was little he could do to stop Kylian Mbappé and he was substituted in the 71st minute. Dest had a hard time controlling PSG’s attackers and before being replaced by Óscar Mingueza, Barcelona was losing 3-1. Minutes after he left, the Ligue 1 side counter attacked and sealed the victory 4-1 with Mbappé scoring a hat trick at the Camp Nou.

This was Dest’s sixth appearance in the Champions League and he has started in all of those matches. On Tuesday night, it was the only time he was substituted in this tournament due to his bad performance in trying to contain Mbappé during the game. Dest has scored one goal in this tournament and Barcelona will visit PSG on 10 March for the second leg of the round of 16.