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Neymar has described Barcelona's 4-0 UEFA Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday as "abnormal" but said the Blaugrana "can't give up" when they attempt to overturn the deficit in the return leg at the Camp Nou.
Angel Di Maria's double, along with strikes from Julian Draxler and Edinson Cavani at the Parc des Princes, condemned Barca to their joint-heaviest defeat in the Champions League and left them needing to overturn a four-goal deficit to avoid a first last-16 exit in a decade.
Barca's usually scintillating front three of Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi were some way off their best against the Ligue 1 giants and the Brazil international noted how rare it is for the Catalans to be in such a situation, per Mundo Deportivo (via ESPN FC's Samuel Marsden):
PSG deserve credit. They were great throughout the game, took their chances and were good at getting into our box. Now we need to think about the next game, see what we can do and try to turn it around. It will be really difficult, practically impossible—but we can't give up. It will be tough to prepare. We're four goals behind... I don't think I've ever been in this situation. All I can to do is give my maximum and help try and turn it around. It was an abnormal game for us. That hardly ever happens to us.
Per Squawka Football, Barca's front line were kept admirably quiet by PSG's defence, specifically 21-year-old Presnel Kimpembe:
A vast improvement will be needed from all of Luis Enrique's squad in the second leg at the Camp Nou on March 8.
Early goals will be vital, but PSG are likely to make it very difficult again for Barca's forwards as they inevitably will sit back to protect their healthy lead.
History is firmly against the five-time winners:
But they have the talent to overturn the deficit, especially if they can pressure PSG early and make their opponents nervous.
PSG's recent campaigns in the Champions League have been defined by a lack of progress as they have dropped out at the quarter-final stage in the last four seasons.
Advancing at Barca's expense would give them a huge boost heading into the last eight in 2016-17. But, if Neymar and his team-mates can rattle PSG early on, they may still be able to produce a famous turnaround.