The defensive errors, especially the expulsion of Ronald Araujo in the 29th minute, ended Barcelona’s European dream, which did not take advantage of the advantage gained in the first leg (2-3) against a Paris Saint-Germain that, led by Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappé, author of a double, sealed his place in the semifinals of the Champions League with a comeback (1-4).
The Catalan team, which is in its fifth year without finishing among the four best in Europe, took the lead in the 12th minute with a goal from Raphinha, but ended up being defeated by playing more than 60 minutes with one man less.
This time it was not an embarrassment, as other eliminations were. And Barça fought, competed and rowed against adversity, but in the ‘Champions’ the details are paid dearly. Xavi’s men did not control them at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium. The quality of Dembélé, Vitihna and Mbappé wrote the first comeback – that word that they learned in Paris in 2017 after the 6-1 at the Camp Nou – that PSG endorses the Barça team in Europe.
Xavi took a risk from the start with the entry of Pedri into the midfield. Without the suspended Sergi Roberto and Andreas Christensen, keys in the unexpected takeoff of the Barça team in the last two months, the man from Egarense opted for the magic of the Canarian in the midfield, who in the previous game already made it clear that he wanted to play at the start despite the fact that It’s not even been a week since he was discharged from his latest muscle injury.
Barcelona lost defensive security at the back, but gained a lifeline with the ball against an opponent who bit high, without fear, looking for the error in the Barça ball’s release. And this time Luis Enrique did not experiment with the lineup. He improved at right back with Achraf Hakimi, suspended in the first leg, gained muscle with Zaire-Emery in midfield and imbalance with Bradley Barcola in attack.
Because Luis Enrique did not lie in the run-up and repeated the first leg plan with voracious pressure, covering Cubarsí and floating Araujo at the ball’s exit, which prevented Xavi’s men from getting the ball. But without him, he did not suffer many scares in the first twelve minutes, which was the time it took for the Blaugrana to connect four passes in a row and to strike first.
The ball reached Lamine Yamal, who slipped down the right wing and left Nuno Mendes in the gutter. He raised his head, looked in the area and filtered a precise cross that Raphinha finished off almost accidentally from inside the area (1-0, min.12).
The script from the first leg was repeated and Barcelona advanced like the greats, without making noise, waiting to strike the first blow in a match in which there was still much to write.
The goal gave breath to Barcelona, who were able to get into the PSG field more frequently. And, in those, Lewandowski had a clear opportunity to extend the lead. Also Mbappé to tie, but Ter Stegen avoided it.
And, when the Barça team seemed to have the game under control, Araujo made a mistake in getting the ball out, Barcola beat him back and, when he was already facing Ter Stegen’s goal, he was knocked down by the Uruguayan. The referee did not hesitate and sent off the Barça defender with a direct red card (min.29).
The expulsion forced Xavi to sacrifice Lamine Yamal, the protagonist of the goal assist, and bring on Íñigo Martínez. He changed the game plan for the visiting team, which dedicated itself to defending the PSG ‘miuras’.
It didn’t take ten minutes for Luis Enrique’s team to tie the game. Barcola, the most prominent forward of the French in the first half, drew a cross that Mbappé narrowly missed, but which Dembélé did impale, booed by Montjuïc, with a right foot that slipped into the top corner. It was the former Azulgrana’s third goal of the season, two of them against his former team.
The second touched the ‘mosquito’ before the break, which the Barça players, drowned in their area, had been asking for minutes to refresh their minds before a second half that was expected to be more than demanding for the Catalans.
A survival exercise, which it was not, against a rival that monopolized the attacks and multiplied the opportunities. Achraf warned with a shot that Ter Stegen rejected, and Fabián with a cross shot that went wide.
At the third opportunity, Vitinha did not forgive, who like Dembélé also scored in the first leg. The action came after a corner kick poorly defended by Barça. The midfielder invented a cross shot from the edge of the area to beat Ter Stegen (1-2, min.54).
The Parisian team tied the tie and Barcelona came out of the cave, almost tying with a shot by Gündogan that grazed Donnarumma’s post shortly before the referee sent off Xavi Hernández for protesting.
Another childish mistake condemned Barcelona. This time it was Cancelo, who knocked down Dembélé in his attempt to steal the ball from him on the edge of the area. The referee did not hesitate to whistle the eleven meters and Mbappé, missing in the first leg, turned the tie around in a jiffy (1-3, min.61).
The tie was slipping away from Barcelona, but, with an advantage on the scoreboard, their rival speculated something with the ball. Exhausted by the effort, the locals waited for their moment at some point. Lewandowski created a chance, which forced Donnarumma to show off, and Raphinha warned with a ride that he only needed to finish it with precision.
In the last ten minutes of the match, Xavi burned the ships, bringing on Joao Félix and Fermín Suárez. With Barcelona looking for a miracle, Mbappé (1-4, min.89) ended the European dream of the locals in a counterattack.
#Double #Mbappé #Barcelona
