PSG deny players were in a nightclub days before Barca game

PARIS (Reuters) - Paris St Germain have denied that two of their players were in a nightclub a couple of days before the Ligue 1 club were thrashed 6-1 by Barcelona in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

Sports daily L'Equipe reported on Friday that midfielders Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi had been spotted in a Paris night club on Monday, one day before travelling to Barcelona for Wednesday's game. The Catalans, who lost 4-0 in the first leg, reached the quarter-finals with a 6-5 aggregate win.

The report said that the two players had left the night club "after midnight".

"It's insulting to their professionalism and to the club," PSG wrote in a statement on Twitter.

"Shame on those -- often L'Equipe -- who publish unconfirmed information."

PSG, who resume their domestic duties at Lorient on Sunday, are second in Ligue 1, three points behind Monaco.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot, editing by Pritha Sarkar)