by Barcelona came from behind to claim a dramatic 3-2 first leg victory over Paris Saint-Germain in another thrilling night of Champions League quarter-final action.
After PSG’s bright start, Barcelona took control of the tie and Raphinha scored his first Champions League goal when Gianluigi Donnarumma spilled Lamine Yamal’s cross.
PSG were stunned when the half-time whistle blew at the Parc des Princes but Luis Enrique changed the shape of his team and produced a stunning comeback immediately after the restart.
Ousmane Dembele hit a thunderous finish to equalize against his former club and with the momentum now with the hosts, Vitinha cut through Barcelona just two minutes later to give PSG the lead.
But there would be another dramatic comeback, as Raphinha hit an exquisite volley to draw Barcelona level. Andreas Christensen then came off the bench to head in the winner from a corner, giving Barcelona a narrow advantage ahead of next week’s game.
Here’s what we learned from another exciting night of Champions League action
Kylian Mbappe disappears and other stars shine in a thriller
Another exciting night in the Champions League, but where was Kylian Mbappe? After the drama at the Emirates and Bernabeu last night, the Parc des Princes staged another quarter-final first leg as Barcelona came from behind to beat PSG and lead Spain back.
There was excellent attacking activity all over the pitch, particularly from Barcelona forward Raphinha – as the former Leeds attacker scored his first Champions League goals, including a fine volley from Pedri’s through ball. At the other end, Ousmane Dembele headed in to lead the opposition goal after half-time, scoring a rocket of an equalizer against his former club.
However, Mbappe was largely anonymous, barely having a touch let alone an electric dribble or chance other than his late, late shot deflected wide. A quick swing saved the ball from the byline, just before Dembele headed into the roof, but that was it and Mbappe’s international team-mate Jules Kounde did a superb job in his marking.
Mbappe is expected to leave PSG at the end of the season, and if this was his last Champions League appearance in Paris, it was a fair way to go out.
Barcelona expose PSG’s soft midfield as Donnarumma struggles
Another extremely disappointing night for Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, with defensive weakness at the heart of the problem again in a big game.
In the middle was goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who did not look comfortable dealing with crosses as Barcelona targeted the Italy international with a series of inswinging deliveries early on. Donnarumma did not cover himself in glory when he spilled Lamal’s cross, which led to Raphinha’s opener, then failed to command his box late on as Christensen headed Barcelona ahead. It was coming.
Donnarumma also faced problems, caused by a brilliant centre-forward display from Robert Lewandowksi. The 35-year-old was superb with his back-to-back, winning his duels with Marquinhos and Lucas Beraldo, turning brilliantly to take three PSG players out of the game in the move that led to Raphinha’s opener.
For PSG, where was the defensive resilience and solidity? He cost Paris in the Champions League again.
Xavi and Luis Enrique face each other in a thrilling tactical battle
This was a night for the representative of influence. Xavi and Luis Enrique were able to change the rhythm and momentum of the game with their changes from the bench, resulting in a great competition between the managers on the touchline and the players on the pitch.
Xavi had more than that against his former Barcelona boss Enrique, and his early selection allowed the visitors to take control of their quarter-final. Xavi also changed his tactics to go straight to Robert Lewandowski, who PSG could not deal with in the early stages.
But Enrique sprung into action at half-time, fighting back from Barcelona when he removed Marco Asensio’s ineffective false nine and tackled Bradley Barcola. The free-flowing move led Dembele to slot home his superb equaliser, before Vitinha gave PSG the lead two minutes later.
Xavi then responded with his own adjustment, getting off Yamine Lamal and bringing on Pedri to help stabilize Barcelona in midfield. The change had an immediate impact – as the former Kopa Trophy winner set up Raphinha’s equalizer with a brilliant chip over the PSG defence.
Then – another twist! Barcelona were causing PSG problems all night with their corners coming in, so Xavi’s next move was to bring on tall midfielder Andreas Christensen from the bench – and the defender brought Barcelona back into the final. .
Barcelona’s teenage stars are shining on the big stage
It was a great night at Barcelona’s legendary academy, La Masia, as history was made at the Parc des Princes. Lamine Yamal, at 16, became the youngest player to start a Champions League quarter-final. Pau Cubarsi, at 17, was the second youngest, and was in the heart of the defense.
Yamal has been a breakout star this season, already playing a central role for the Spanish national team, so it was Cubarsi who made the biggest impression with an extremely assured and confident display at centre-back. Cubarsi was composed on the ball and rarely put a foot wrong. Barcelona have another gem on their hands.
Pedri also deserves a mention. The 21-year-old has had a terrible time with injuries since breaking into the Barcelona team as a teenager two years ago, so his assist for Raphinha’s equalizer was a great reminder of his own talent.
