China Daily

Pique predicts a need for more nurses

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BARCELONA — Defender Gerard Pique predicted a baby boom in the Catalan capital following Barcelona’s sensationa­l 6-1 thrashing of Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.

Sergi Roberto scored five minutes into stoppage time to cap the biggest Champions League comeback of all time from a 4-0 first-leg defeat to reach the quarterfin­als 6-5 on aggregate.

“I would say to the hospitals of Barcelona to hire nurses,” said Pique, who has two children with Colombian pop star Shakira.

“Tonight is for celebratio­n ... and people will make a lot of love.”

Dramatic, late Champions League goals have a history of causing a spike in the birth rate in soccer-mad Barcelona.

Andres Iniesta’s famous stoppage-time equalizer to see the Catalans through a highly controvers­ial semifinal against Chelsea in 2009 is credited with a 50 percent rise in the number of babies born around nine months later.

 ?? ALBERT GEA / REUTERS ?? Gerard Pique celebrates with Andres Iniesta after PSG’s Layvin Kurzawa scored an own goal on Wednesday.
ALBERT GEA / REUTERS Gerard Pique celebrates with Andres Iniesta after PSG’s Layvin Kurzawa scored an own goal on Wednesday.

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