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Barcelona’s Champions League campaign ended prematurely on Wednesday, the Blaugrana losing 5-2 on aggregate after drawing 1-1 against Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their round of 16 tie at the Parc des Princes.
Lionel Messi scored an impressive goal to nullify Kylian Mbappé’s penalty in the 30th minute, but the damage was already done in the first leg at Camp Nou last month, when PSG won 4-1.
Mbappé opened the scoring against the game’s streak when VAR ruled that Clement Lenglet had knocked down Mauro Icardi. Messi drew seven minutes later, beating Keylor Navas from more than 30 yards, and then had the opportunity to further reduce the deficit when Barca received a penalty. However, his effort was pushed to the bar by Navas.
Ousmane Dembélé had previously missed a number of good chances and Sergino Dest hit the crossbar when Barça threw it all at PSG. But all to no avail as Ronald Koeman’s team exited the competition ahead of the quarterfinal stage for the first time since 2007.
Highlights
- Which means Laporta being chosen for Messi, Barca’s billions of dollars debt and team rebuilding Who is Moriba, Barcelona’s newest African wonder boy? Laporta: Messi congratulated me on Barça’s victory
2 Related positives
Barça can be proud of how they left Europe given the gruesome second half of the first leg at the Camp Nou. They were much better than PSG in Paris, rejecting them for almost the entire game, and on another night they would have come closer to replicating their famous 2017 ‘Comeback‘against the French side.
In that sense, Koeman and his players will gain confidence in his performance, which was an extension of his good form since the turn of the year. Sixteen unbeaten matches in the League and in the final of the Copa del Rey, they could still win the double.
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Negative
Koeman said that before the game his team would have to be clinical to reverse the tie. They weren’t, which ultimately dashed any hope of a comeback. They had 16 shots in the first half and nine on goal, which is more than any other team has achieved in the first half of a Champions League game this season. Dembélé was especially wasteful, while Messi missed from the penalty spot.
Manager rating out of 10
7 – Koeman took a chance playing three defenses and dropping Frenkie de Jong at center-back, but his team dominated the game and at least deserved to win that night.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players submitted after 70 minutes are not rated)
GK Marc-Andre ter Stegen, 6 years old – It had very little to do with PSG’s goal from the penalty spot.
DF Oscar Mingueza, 6 – He started well, making a couple of key interceptions, but his night fell apart when a foul warning on Mbappe was followed by another late challenge. Walking the tightrope with an hour to go, Koeman opted to take it off.
DF Frenkie de Jong, 7 – He failed in midfield but was dominant at the rear and stepped forward when he could.
DF Clemente Lenglet, 6 – Unfortunate to award the penalty for accidentally catching Icardi, who was not going to get close to the ball.
MF Sergino Dest, 7 – He was a real threat in attack, beating Layvin Kurzawa for fun in the first half and also hitting the wood.
MF Sergio Busquets, 7 – Involved in almost all of Barça’s plays and was also close to scoring, with Navas denying it twice.
MF Pedri, 8 – Another brilliant performance from the 18-year-old saw Mbappé look for him and ask for his shirt after the match.
MF Jordi Alba, 7 – He was up and down the left flank all night, but lacked the efficiency he’s had in the final third in recent weeks.
Lionel Messi scored a fabulous goal, but will kick himself for his key penalty miss late in the first half. Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty Images
FW Antoine Griezmann, 7 – He made a great pass to create an opportunity for Dembélé, won the penalty and retreated tirelessly, helping to deal with the threat from Mbappé on the counter.
DEL Lionel Messi, 8 – He scored a brilliant goal but will be kicking himself for not scoring more. He missed a penalty at the edge of the break that could have changed the game and saw an opportunity in the second half blocked by Marquinhos.
FW Ousmane Dembele, 7 – He was a constant threat, especially in the first half, but he wasted his chances too much. He got a good save from Navas in the 19th minute and should have scored when Griezmann fed him at 35.
Substitutes
DF Junior Firpo, 7 – He did well against Mbappé, coming in just after the PSG penalty.
DEL Francisco Trincao, 6 – He took the beating from his man but couldn’t impact the game.
MF Ilaix Moriba, N / A – They only gave him 10 minutes, but it was another sign of the confidence Koeman has in the young man.
MF Miralem Pjanic, N / R – Once brought, the hope of a return was gone.
FW Martin Braithwaite, N / A – He was too late to do anything.
Source: espn.co.uk
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