Luis Enrique made a triumphant return to Barcelona, leading Paris Saint-Germain to a stunning 4-1 victory over his former club in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Inspired by Kylian Mbappe, PSG overcame a 1-0 deficit on the night to secure a 6-4 aggregate win.
Despite Barcelona taking an early lead through Raphinha, the game shifted dramatically when Ronald Araujo was sent off, giving PSG the advantage.
Ousmane Dembele and Vintinha’s goals turned the tide in PSG’s favor before Mbappe’s penalty put them ahead on aggregate.
As Barcelona pushed forward desperately, Mbappe capitalized on a defensive error to seal PSG’s victory. Xavi, Barcelona’s manager, expressed frustration with the referee’s decisions, feeling the red card altered the course of the game significantly.
Ousmane Dembele made waves in the UEFA Champions League, scoring in back-to-back games for the first time since October 2020 during his tenure with Barcelona.
His feat marked a significant milestone as he became the first player to find the net against Barcelona, having previously played for them in the competition, since Zlatan Ibrahimovic achieved the same for Paris Saint-Germain back in December 2014.
Speaking to Canal+, Dembele expressed his team’s unwavering belief in their ability to overturn the first-leg deficit: “Everyone believed (we could qualify), even if we lost the first leg 3-2. We didn’t give up; we knew we were going to score goals here. A big shift from the whole team.”
He credited the preparation under the guidance of their coach for their remarkable performance: “We worked the entire week. Even though we conceded the first goal, we didn’t let our heads drop.”
With PSG advancing to face Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals, the stage is set for another thrilling encounter after Dortmund’s own comeback against Atletico Madrid.