After losing at home (3-2) and coming back, Paris, with one more, takes the lead 4-1 and competes in the semi-final with Dortmund. Mbappé scored two
PSG reversed the advantage that Barcelona gained in Paris in the first leg (3-2) and is in the Champions League semi-finals. This Tuesday (16/4), in the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona (which received 50,309), they thrashed the Catalan team: 4-1.
Barça took the lead with Raphinha. But the home team started playing with ten players from the 29th minute of the opening half (Araújo sent off) and that was fatal. PSG equalized before the break, through Dembélé. In the second half, Vitinha and Mbappé (twice) secured the rout that took the team to the semifinals.
In the semi-final, PSG will face Borussia Dortmund, who eliminated Atlético de Madrid in Tuesday’s other Champions League game. The other semi-finalists will be known this Wednesday after the duels between Manchester City x Real Madrid (3-3, first leg, in Spain) and Bayern x Arsenal (2-2, first leg, in England).
Barcelona extends lead
Needing to win to avoid saying goodbye to the Champions League, PSG had greater volume and shots in the first half. In the first ten minutes, they built three good attacks. But Barça, in the first chance, reached the goal, at 12. Ronald Araújo made a throw that found Lamine Yamal on the right. The striker got past Nuno Mendes and passed for Raphinha to make it 1-0. Lewandowski almost doubled with a shot from the edge of the area that went wide.
Barça with ten; PSG draws
But, after 25 minutes, PSG were in charge. Mbappé had two chances. In the first, Ter Stegen saved. In the second, Koundé took it with his head. At 30, Barcola was entering the area to tie the game and Araújo made a foul. As he was the last man, he ended up expelled. Dembéle took the free kick over the top. With ten, Barça ended up conceding the draw at 38. Barcoloa crossed, Mbappé didn’t reach the ball, but Dembélé did. 1 to 1. And the same Dembéle almost lost at the end of the first half.
Parisian turn
With ten, Barcelona returned closed for the second half. But he couldn’t stop PSG. Faian Ruiz, at five, almost scored. But at eight there was no way. A low corner from Dembélé went to Hakimi, who rolled to the Portuguese Vitinha’s bomb to make it 2-1, a score that took the decision to extra time. Then, Barça almost equalized with Gundogan’s shot at the crossbar. But the home team was nervous and so was their coach. Xavi complained about a marking, kicked an advertising board and was sent off.
Mbappé scores twice
At 16, another Parisian goal. Dembélé was brought down in the area by Cancelo. Mbappé took a shot to Ter Stegen’s right, high up. Paris opened the lead and for the first time had the advantage. In desperation, Barça went on the attack, created opportunities and saw Raphinha almost score an Olympic goal. But, at 44, when he was all up, he took the lime shovel. Hakimi launched a counterattack that Mbappé missed the goal. But Koundé cut poorly and the ball returned for the striker to send into the net, celebrating his eighth goal in the Champions League, taking over the top score and making it 4-1 on the scoreboard. He went to celebrate with the crowd, the 3,000 French people behind the goal. PSG in the semi-final.
BARCELONA 1×4 PSG
Champions 2023/24 – Quarter-finals – Return game
Date: 4/16/2024
Location: Olympic Stadium, Barcelona (ESP)
Audience: 50,309
BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Koundé, Araújo, Cubarsi and Cancelo (João Félix, 37’/2nd Q); Frenkie de Jong (Fermin, 37’/2nd Q), Gündogan and Pedri (Ferran Torres, 16’/2nd Q); Lamine Yamal (Martínez, 34’/1st Q), Raphinha and Lewandowski. Coach: Xavi
PSG: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Lucas Hernández and Nuno Mendes; Zaïre-Emery (Ugarte, 35’/2ndQ), Fabián Ruiz (ASsensio, 32’/2ndQ), Vitinha; Dembélé (Kolo Muani, 43’/2nd Q), Barcola (Le Kang-In, 32’/2nd Q) and Mbappé. Coach: Luis Enrique
Goals: Raphinha, 12’/1st Q (1-0); Dembélé, 39’/1st Q (1-1). Vitinha, 8’/2ºT (1-2); Mbappé, from a penalty, 16’/2nd Q (1-3). Mbappé, 44’/2nd Q (1-4)
Referee: István Kovács (ROU)
Assistants: Vasile Florin Marinescu (ROU) Mihai Ovidiu Artene (ROU)
VAR: Marco Fritz (ALE)
Yellow cards: Martínez, Gundogan, Lewandowski, Raphinha (BAR); Fabian Ruiz, Mbappé, Marquinhos, Donnarumma (PSG)
Red cards: Araújo (BAR, 29’/1st Q); Xavi (Barca coach, 11’/2nd Q)
