Champions, Psg-Barcelona 1-1: Navas super, Messi stopped

Navas saves a penalty from Leo and prevents the Blaugrana from coming back after the 4-1 first leg. The Argentine first equalized Mbappé’s advantage from the spot with a stone from the edge, then had the shot rejected from 11 meters

Messi does everything, and Mbappé passes. After the 4-1 Parisian at the Camp Nou, the “remuntada” as they say in Catalan, seemed impossible and so it was. The memory of Barça’s 6-1 at PSG on 8 March 2017 remains so, and very faded. The Blaugrana, accompanied by the new president Joan Laporta, tried, dominated and offered an excellent image, but did not go beyond 1-1. And after 13 long years, for the first time since 2007 they do not reach the quarter-finals.

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END OF AN ERA

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And it is the end of an era: for the first time since the distant 2005 in the quarterfinals of the Champions League there are neither Messi nor Ronaldo. Make way for Haaland, 4 goals against Sevilla, and Mbappé, 4 goals against Barcelona in this round of 16 decided already in the first leg, 3 at Camp Nou and one tonight. Messi does everything because the Argentine scored a wonderful “golazo” in the first half, but then in a key moment of the match he had a penalty saved by Keylor Navas, largely the best of a PSG that after dominating this first leg sera has always suffered by playing excessively with the result of the first leg. But the penalty had to be countered, because Verratti had entered the area before the shot.

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SPECTACULAR PART ONE

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Breathless, without respite, without pause, without head. This was the incredible first time at the Parco dei Principi. Barcelona took the field with De Jong in defense between Mingueza and Lenglet but above all with determination and fury and crushed the Parisians, with Neymar and Kean at home, Di Maria on the bench, Florenzi and Verratti holders. Barça dominated a shy and confused PSG, created 8 scoring chances but went to the break at 1-1, which is quite incredible.

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GOALS, CROSSES AND PENALTIES

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Four of those occasions were packaged and wasted by Dembélé, alive but clumsy and never cold. Then a spectacular goal from Leo Messi (37 ‘), left from 17 meters at the crossroads for his first goal from open play in this Champions League, after 4 goals from a penalty. And the 4 saves by Keylor Navas: two notable on Dembélé and Busquets, two incredible with the help of the crossbar. The first on a diagonal by Dest, the second on a penalty by Messi, caused in a very foolish way by Kurzawa on Griezmann in the second of three minutes of recovery. Barça could have gone to the break ahead and only two goals from extra time, but the former Madrid “tico” was colossal. For the Catalans 6 errors out of 15 this year from the spot. Kurzawa’s stupid penalty? Yes, like that of Lenglet who on 30 ‘sent Mbappé on the spot for an involuntary and clumsy stomp on Icardi. It is the fourth penalty granted this year by the disastrous French center. Var and a draw by Kylian, with his sixth goal in this Champions League, 4 at Barça in the return leg

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SHOOTING WITHOUT CAFFEINE

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Messi’s mistake from the spot has cooled down Catalan enthusiasm, aware of the difficulty of finding 3 goals in 45 ‘. Barça continued to keep the ball but without being able to intimidate a PSG always very defensive but less anxious. And anyway, there is always Keylor Navas, again decisive in the 69th minute over Busquets, the Catalans’ first conclusion in the second half and the only serious danger: everything changed with that penalty from Messi.

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