Luis Enrique returned to Barcelona to knock his former membership out of the Champions League as Kylian Mbappe impressed Paris Saint-Germain to a pulsating 4-1 second-leg victory, profitable 6-4 on combination.
They fought again from 3-2 down within the first leg and 1-0 down on Tuesday night time to progress to the ultimate 4, the place they may face Borussia Dortmund for a spot in Wembley’s ultimate.
Barcelona prolonged their lead on the night time when Raphinha transformed Lamine Yamal’s cross (12). However the recreation turned on referee Istvan Kovacs’ determination to ship off Ronald Araujo for knowledgeable foul (29) on Bradley Barcola.
PSG had been ruthless in making their numerical benefit rely as they hauled themselves again into the tie via Ousmane Dembele earlier than half-time (40).
Enrique’s facet did not take their foot off the gasoline upon the restart as Vintinha levelled the competition with a high-quality strike (54) earlier than a rash problem from Joao Cancelo within the field allowed Mbappe to place the French membership forward on combination (61).
With Barcelona committing gamers ahead within the closing levels, Mbappe stretched PSG’s lead after pouncing on a poor clearance from Jules Kounde after Marc-Andre ter Stegen had saved his preliminary effort to cap a breathless night time on the Estadio Olimpico de Montjuic.
Barcelona’s Joao Cancelo conceded the essential penalty
Xavi complained bitterly to referee Kovacs and ended up being proven a pink card himself, which didn’t cease him going again to the pitch on the ultimate whistle to voice his frustration once more on the Romanian official.
“The referee was actually dangerous. I informed him his efficiency was a catastrophe. I do not like to speak about referees, however it had a transparent influence within the season and it needs to be mentioned,” Xavi informed Movistar Plus.
“We’re very upset and offended as a result of the pink card was the decisive issue within the match. With 11 (gamers) we had been in a very good place, taking part in nicely and in command.
Kylian Mbappe scored twice in a Champions League basic
“It is an excessive amount of to flash a pink card in a recreation like this. There was one other recreation after that… It’s a pity that the work of the season was ruined by an pointless expulsion.”
PSG will now play Dortmund within the semi-finals, having already met them within the group section of this season’s competitors. The German staff additionally carried out a turnaround of their tie with Atletico Madrid, responding to final week’s 2-1 defeat in Spain with a 4-2 win of their second leg, leading to a 5-4 combination triumph.
How PSG made additional man rely…
PSG’s Vitinha celebrates with PSG’s Achraf Hakimi
Barcelona bought off to the proper begin when Raphinha bought in entrance of Achraf Hakimi to satisfy Yamal’s inviting cross. In offering the help aged 16 years and 278 days, Yamal grew to become the youngest participant to register a aim involvement within the knockout levels of the Champions League.
However when Araujo introduced down Barcola exterior the field as he ran onto Nuno Mendes’ cross, the hosts had been diminished to 10 males and had over an hour to restrict PSG to a single aim.
That got here when Dembele arrived on the far submit to satisfy Barcola’s low cross in entrance of Joao Cancelo, quickly silencing the group that jeered the previous Barcelona participant all through.
Barcelona’s Raphinha celebrates his early opener
Dembele once more impressed for PSG towards his previous membership
Vitinha drilled the French champions into the lead on the night time and Barcelona’s frustration prolonged to their supervisor Xavi, who was despatched off for kicking some water bottles.
The Spanish membership’s distress was full when Mbappe was on course from the penalty spot after Cancelo had introduced down Dembele contained in the field.
As Barca tried to discover a aim to take the sport to extra-time, Mbappe made probably the most of a counter assault to attain from close-range and wrap up a semi-final place towards Borussia Dortmund.
Participant of the match – Ousmane Dembele
Ousmane Dembele hauls PSG stage on the night time
Dembele scored in consecutive UEFA Champions League video games for the primary time since October 2020 (with Barcelona), with the Frenchman the primary participant to attain away towards Barca after beforehand taking part in for them within the competitors since Zlatan Ibrahimovic, additionally for Paris, in December 2014.
Dembele informed Canal+: “Everybody believed (we might qualify), even when we misplaced the primary leg 3-2. We did not hand over, we knew we had been going to attain targets right here. A giant shift from the entire staff.
“We labored your entire week, tactically, with the coach. His techniques had been excellent. Although we conceded the primary aim, we did not let our heads drop. We continued to consider.”
Evaluation: Araujo pink card very harsh
Araujo, left, and PSG’s Fabian Ruiz argue after the pink card
Evaluation by Sky Sports activities’ Tim Sherwood:
“It was an enormous determination from the referee to ship off Araujo. When Raphinha places them additional forward, you suppose Barcelona are in management. They had been beginning to cross the ball and preserve it away from PSG.
“Abruptly, Araujo bought the unsuitable facet of Barcola and he brings him down. He places his arm on his shoulder however I believed it was a really harsh pink card.
“VAR checked out it however it was by no means going to get overturned. He determined it was a pink and the sport simply modified. Dembele haunted his previous membership after which Mbappe stepped up. It was a disastrous problem from Cancelo on Dembele for the penalty.
“I believe it’ll be an uphill job for Dortmund. It’s a 50-50 recreation however the winners of this competitors comes from the opposite facet of the draw.”
Xavi: Sending off price us the sport
Araujo protests his innocence however is shipped off
Barcelona boss Xavi: “When it was 11 towards 11, we had been nicely organized. The match modified fully. We had an opportunity to make it 2-2 when Gundo (Ilkay Gundogan) hit the submit and Robert (Lewandowski) had an opportunity to make it 2-0 when he shot over.
“Massive possibilities however when you’re chasing a match with 10 males, it is all the time a lot tougher. I would have cherished to see what would have occurred if it stayed 11 towards 11. I believe we have dignified ourselves on this Champions League marketing campaign and Barcelona will likely be again to try to be even higher subsequent time.
“We weren’t certain about what adjustments to make when Ronald was despatched off. Pedri was getting back from a muscle harm however we needed the kind of management of possession and good use of the ball he brings and we needed the working energy of Raphinha.
“We selected to interchange Lamine, sadly in order that Inigo might come on. These are the type of penalties which comply with being diminished to 10 males, I am afraid.”
Enrique: Our urgent was key to victory
PSG’s Vitinha celebrates after levelling the tie
Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique: “This has been tremendous tough taking part in towards Barcelona. In sentimental, emotional phrases for me. And in soccer phrases I would like to not must play them too many extra instances. I am tremendous contented to have gone via although.
“One of the best feeling when you’re a participant or a coach is seeing that your work makes individuals blissful. There’s nothing higher than that. You possibly can’t purchase that feeling. The sensation of getting one thing particular for the membership is nice. Now we have to address the ultimate and attempt to get ourselves to the ultimate.”
On his staff: “He (Mbappe) was a frontrunner from begin to end, and when a staff senses {that a} participant as essential as him is able to deliver everybody with him, you benefit from it. I would like to discuss Vitinha, too: he battles, he has the standard in his ultimate ball. Dembele was very good as nicely, even when it was tough for him to play right here too.”
Mbappe proves the distinction once more – Opta stats
- Solely Cristiano Ronaldo (23 targets in 39 video games) has netted extra away from house within the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League than Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappé (15 in 12 video games) with the Frenchman netting extra within the competitors towards Barcelona than towards every other facet (6).
- Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique is the primary ex-Barcelona supervisor to eradicate the Spanish facet from a UEFA Champions League knockout stage tie and solely the third Spaniard to take action after Rafael Benítez with Liverpool in 2006-07 (spherical of 16) and Vicente del Bosque with Actual Madrid in 2001-02 (semi-finals).
- The one two cases of Barcelona conceding 4 or extra targets in a house UEFA Champions League/European Cup knockout recreation have come by the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, who additionally beat the Spaniards 4-1 at Camp Nou in February 2021 within the Final 16.
- Of their sixteenth UEFA Champions League marketing campaign, Paris Saint-Germain have reached the semi-finals of the competitors for under the fourth time, additionally doing so in 1994-95, 2019-20 and 2020-21.
What’s subsequent?
Barcelona go to LaLiga leaders Actual Madrid in El Clasico on Sunday April 21. Kick-off 8pm. Barca can shut the hole on Actual to 5 factors with a win.
PSG return to Ligue 1 motion, which they lead by 10 factors, at house to Lyon on Sunday. Kick-off 8pm.
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