Trailing after the 1st leg, Paris will keep fighting!

It was billed as the latest instalment in this incredible saga, a galactic rivalry between two universes driven by their ambitions to reign supreme. Once again, Paris Saint-Germain crossed paths with FC Barcelona. And for this first leg at the Parc des Princes, Luis Enrique unveiled a particularly attacking line-up, with Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé in attack, accompanied by Marco Asensio and Kang In Lee up front. The curtain came up and the show could begin.

All the ingredients that make this match so special were quickly in evidence: an extraordinary crowd, led by the roar of the ultras in the Auteuil stand... And on the pitch, a crazy intensity, remarkable technical quality at every level and a psychological battle for the ascendency under high tension. All part and parcel of the charm of this Champions League. Paris and Barcelona both looked to dominate the possession of the ball, impose their authority in midfield and control the tempo of the game. And it was our Rouge et Bleu who had the upper hand first, with home side producing no fewer than six shots in the first quarter of an hour, compared to none from their opponents.

But there were always going to be ebb and flow, highs and lows, in this clash. And when the Catalans tried to regain control of the game, our charges resisted, led by the impressive Nuno Mendes, with an heroic clearance on the line (20’), Marquinhos was at his best and Gigio Donnarumma made two precious saves (22’). No quarter was asked or given and the situation became even more complicated when Barcelona opened the scoring when Raphinha finished off at the far post (0-1, 38’).

Stung, our players returned from the half-time break with renewed energy and ambition. Eleven champions plugged into 10,000 volts and carried by a twelfth man. And it was Ousmane Dembélé that flicked the switch! In a lightning-fast attack, the striker mystified his opposite number with a devastating cut-back before unleashing a missile into the roof of the net (1-1, 48’)!

Paris were back and, in the blink of an eye, they were in front! A superb move down the right saw Vitinha fire the ball across the goal and into the bottom left-hand corner, sending the Parc into total rapture (2-1, 51’)! What a turnaround! What an atmosphere! The magic of the European Cup distilled into a few seconds... An ecstatic feeling that was further heightened when Bradley Barcola, who had come on as a substitute at the interval, fired against the crossbar (54').

But this epic script had further twists and turns. The Spanish visitors managed to do just that thanks to another flash of brilliance from Raphinha, who scored from Pedri's pass (2-2, 61’). Paris then hit the woodwork for a second time when Dembélé hit the post, just seconds before Christensen headed home from a corner (2-3, 76’)...

Paris Saint-Germain may have lost the first leg, but they have not lost the war. We are only halfway through this double-header. In 6 days' time, Luis Enrique's men travel to Catalonia with their European destiny still within their grasp. The scene is set. It’s time for the second act.