Hakimi: we showed against Barcelona that we are the champions of Europe

Achraf Hakimi could not hide his pride after Paris Saint-Germain beat Barcelona 4-2 on Tuesday evening in the third round of the Champions League league phase.

The French side are proving their pedigree in Europe. Having downed Premier League leaders Manchester City 4-2 last week, they then saw off a Catalan side who had yet to taste defeat this season.

"When you play against a team like this, you want to show them that we are the champions and that we aspire to continue winning," Hakimi told CBS Sports after the match. "We want to show them that we are also one of the best teams in the world, and perhaps the best right now."

Speaking to French outlet "Foot Mercato", he went on: "We knew it would be a very difficult match. We were facing one of the best teams in the world, which had not lost yet this season. But our team is amazing".

Barcelona hit back twice and the match swung one way then the other, yet Hakimi came away thrilled by his side's knack for delivering on the big nights.

"It was a wonderful match for the fans, but we also enjoyed playing," he explained. "In matches like these, we have to defend and attack at a very high level".

The Moroccan has one clear target for the rest of the campaign. "We have a big goal we are striving to achieve this year: to win the Champions League again. Our aim is to keep winning," he said.

Fuelling that ambition day after day is coach Luis Enrique, who earned warm praise from his full-back. "The coach makes sure every day that we do not lose the winning mentality. We give our best, and I hope we continue achieving victories," Hakimi added.