Paris Saint-Germain made it an unforgettable night in Catalonia, brilliantly securing their qualification against FC Barcelona (4-1). A look back on this historic victory!
The electric atmosphere of a major spring battle filled the Montjuïc Stadium, perched above Barcelona, this Wednesday, for the second leg of the quarter-final pitting our Parisians against Xavi's team. Less than a week after a tumultuous first leg, Paris had a date with history. Just one objective motivated our champions: to achieve an unprecedented feat in French football by turning the situation around. A gargantuan challenge that Luis Enrique approached with great courage, fielding a line-up led by his three arrows Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Bradley Barcola in attack. Achraf Hakimi - returning from suspension - and academy product Warren Zaïre-Emery also made their return to the starting eleven.
The emotion was palpable. A heavy atmosphere descended upon Barcelona, at the moment of this huge rendez-vous... Once the game got underway, it didn't take long for the players to throw themselves wholeheartedly into this battle at every given moment... The power struggle was relentless on all fronts. Tactically, of course, between two teams with attacking football in their DNA, vying for possession of the ball, but also in terms of technical quality, athletic impact and that precious ability - to play as a team.
Starting with a frustrating and illogical situation at the start of the match, it was met with real courage by our Rouge et Bleu. Because after ten admirable minutes, Barcelona found the opening goal with their first shot, completely against the run of play, as Raphinha converted a cross from Yamal (1-0, 12'). A goal that meant that our Parisians would need to score two goals to force extra time... Far from an ideal scenario, but aren't European nights made to rewrite history?
One thing is certain, to give themselves the right to believe, our Parisians were sharp to every ball. Perhaps it needed a defining moment to kick-start this revolt. And it came after a sprint from the rapid Barcola, who cunningly got ahead of Araujo. The defender was forced into a foul, which saw him pick up a red card (31').
Of course, it was to be expected that the hosts would drop a notch deeper and look to lock down their defence. This is what Xavi immediately implemented, with the substitution of Yamal for Martinez, adding another brick to the Catalan wall. But our Rouge et Bleu spun their web to exploit this numerical advantage and find the breakthrough! Ousmane Dembélé fired a missile to convert Bradley Barcola's cross (1-1, 40').
All that was left to do was to turn everything into reality in the second half, in order to start dreaming... Unsurprisingly, it was a game of attack-versus-defence that unfolded after the break. And it was indeed our players who pushed the Spaniards to their limits, under a barrage of chances. It took a touch of luck, or perhaps precision, for example, when Ter Stegen parried a shot from Hakimi with his arm (49'). Unstoppable, the Moroccan turned provider to set up Vitinha who, with a powerful shot after a little run-up, allowed our Parisians to regain the lead! (1-2, 54').
The tension was palpable...So the last half-hour took the match to another dimension. Fatigue was setting in, eyes were narrowing and the scent of chaos grew stronger. Our Rouge et Bleu never let up. And it was at this moment that Ousmane Dembélé, with a devastating run, won a penalty! With a steady gaze, Kylian Mbappé converted it without mistake (1-3, 60')!
Of course, there were moments where we had to grit our teeth. We will remember the interventions of an imperial Marquinhos and a great Gigio to repel the home side's attempts. This included the double save from the Italian to deny Lewandowski, before the heroic clearance by the Brazilian against Torres (73'). And with one final counter-attack, Kylian Mbappé, after a roll of the dice, sent the Parisian crowd into pandemonium (2-4, 89').
After all the desire, effort and the conclusion of an epic and tumultuous match, our Parisians have once again reached the semi-finals of the competition! A first semi-final in the club's history with its supporters... A historic moment for the club. And it's Borussia Dortmund, an old acquaintance, who will cross paths with our Rouge et Bleu. We're already rubbing our hands in anticipation. Thank you, Paris!