Alessando Grandesso
April 16, 2024 (changed at 11:09 pm) – MILAN
This time, the “remontada” is all Parisian. But always signed by Luis Enrique who in 2017 as Barcelona coach turned PSG around from 4-0 at the Parc des Princes to 6-1 at Camp Nou. And who tonight gave an encore, on reversed terrain, at the helm of the Parisian club, to the detriment of his Barça whose footballing legacy he claims. The emir’s club had lost 3-2 at home, but reached the semi-finals thanks to the 4-1 at Montjuic, with an extra man from the 30th minute and canceling out Raphinha’s advantage with the comeback and the goals of the former Dembélé, Vitinha and a brace from Mbappé. In the semi-final, Borussia Dortmund awaits them.
assets
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Compared to the first leg, Xavi immediately focuses on Pedri in the middle, in place of the suspended Sergi Roberto, and confirms the rest of the lineup, with Yamal on the right of the trident completed by Lewandowski and Raphinha, author of a brace at the Parc des Princes, where Gundogan and de Jong were like tonight the starters in front of the same defense (Cancelo, Cubarsi, Araujo, Koundé) as Ter Stegen. Luis Enrique responds without strange experiments, as in Paris, and drops the ideal eleven, with Donnarumma looking for redemption between the posts, the returning Hakimi from suspension on the right of the rearguard of Marquinhos, Hernandez and Mendez. From the 1st minute also Zaire-Emery, Vitinha and Ruiz in midfield, and the most offensive attack with Barcola, Dembélé and the expected Mbappé. Tactically, however, there is a lot of fluidity, as in the first leg. If Barcola starts from the left and Dembélé on the right, Gundogan immediately positions himself high, almost in support of the trident, but to attack the first Parisian ball carrier.
competition
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The first minutes are a psychological battle with intense pressing and counter-pressing, dense blocks, for moments with the two teams compact in twenty metres, from which to make sudden openings, on the wing or centrally, taking advantage of every mistake. And if PSG easily moves to the edge of the Blaugrana area, the Catalans ward off the danger by becoming more aggressive. But in the 12th minute Yamal already makes the difference as in the first leg, going away to Mendes on the right, crossing inside for Raphinha who punishes Donnarumma, this time innocent. Everything already seen in Paris, everything tremendously effective at the first thrust. At this point PSG needs three goals. Mission as complicated as Mbappé’s imprecise, high header in the 17th minute. Less imprecise, however, is Lewandowski’s shot from the center of the area, which grazes the crossbar (20′). In the 28th minute Mbappé tries again, served by Barcola, but Ter Stegen instinctively saves for a corner.
red
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But it is the signal of the revolt, given that in the 30th minute Barcola escapes Araujo who puts him down to the limit: free kick but above all a severe red card for the Uruguayan defender, as the last man. Xavi sacrifices Yamal for Martinez, but with one more man, PSG just has to push on the accelerator. And he does it in the 40th minute, with Barcola entering from the left, crossing inside to serve on the opposite side Dembélé who first places it under the crossbar. And in the 48th minute the former Blaugrana came close to scoring an encore, again volleying in to collect a backward cross from Mendes. In short, a comeback appears possible again. At the start of the second half, Mbappé immediately asked for maximum pressure and was immediately satisfied: in the 4th minute Hakimi unloaded on Ter Stegen who saved himself for a corner; Ruiz crosses from the left (7′) and touches the post. In the 9th minute Vitinha gets everyone to agree and sends a right-footed shot into the net from the edge.
gift
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At 4-4 on aggregate, Barcelona, exhausted by Parisian possession, seriously staggered, but still attempted a knockout blow with Gundogan who chipped the post to the right of Donnarumma, never really convincing (11′). Xavi, on the other hand, lost his nerves due to a foul called against him in the middle of the pitch and he too was sent off (like his deputy shortly after), while Lucho asked him to calm down. The one that Cancelo loses when he comes in hard on Dembélé in the area. Clear penalty: from eleven metres, Mbappé does not tremble (15′) and completes the job in two halves at the end (44′), on a classic counterattack which is not very Cruyffian, to win his personal “clasico” as a future Real Madrid player . But in the meantime he is chasing his first Champions League as a farewell gift to PSG.
