Rakitic stressed that players must embrace the moment during major European nights, despite the pressure that comes with representing Barcelona.
"We know which matches are special, and you prepare every little detail with a bit more care," the Barca legend said, as quoted by Barca Universal. "Never forget to enjoy yourself and be happy, because there’s a lot of pressure, but there are millions of people who would love to be in your shoes. With Lamine, what we need to do is let him enjoy himself, dance, do his thing, but I’d also like to see him take responsibility.
"Normally, you don’t have to tell young players so much, but Lamine has reached a point where he demands a lot from himself and wants more, even though he’s very young. And these are the matches where he can grow a great deal, and Barca needs him more than ever. Ever since he made his debut, he’s had that ‘flow’; I think that’s the word for it. I’m not that modern, I’m more old-school, but that’s football these days. These things are part of the game, but what matters is what happens on the pitch afterwards, and he’s delivering there – we can’t ask for much more."