It was yet more Champions League madness as PSG and Barcelona served up a thriller. We look back at the game on our PSG vs Barcelona stats page.
A brace from Raphinha and a late winner from Andreas Christensen gave Barcelona a 3-2 lead to take back to Catalonia, as their away win against Paris Saint-Germain continued the midweek madness of the Champions League quarter-finals.
The Brazilian put Xavi’s side ahead in the first half, before PSG turned the game on its head with an early second-half salvo. Ousmane Dembélé and Vitinha each struck to put the home team ahead, before Raphinha netted again to equalise on the hour mark. Christensen was the hero, however, as he highest from a corner to nod in the winner to set up a tantalising second leg next week.
Paris Saint-Germain, roared on by raucous Parc des Princes crowd no doubt aware this could be the last time they see their hero Kylian Mbappé on a European night, started brightly.
With Mbappé down the left and former Barcelona man Dembélé on the right, PSG found it easy to progress the ball wide and often to their dangerous playmakers.
Barcelona defended that danger pretty well in the first period, with full-backs João Cancelo and Jules Koundé not venturing too far forward. Still, the Parisians had the first seven shots in the game and looked the most likely to make the breakthrough.
Barca grew into the game as the first half wore on and a seemingly innocuous corner led to their first chance. Gianluigi Donnarumma – who struggled in large parts this evening – came and failed to claim a corner. Robert Lewandowski managed to get a head on it to steer it goalwards, only for Nuno Mendes to hook the ball off the line.
That seemed to spur Barcelona into life, with Raphinha drilling an effort from 25 yards out moments later that Donnarumma tipped around the post.
After conceding the first seven shots of the game, Barca had quickly attempted the subsequent six.
And then – the breakthrough. Pau Cubarsí – who tonight became the youngest defender in UCL history to start a quarter-final match – punched a pass into Lewandowski’s feet. The Pole spun his man expertly, before feeding Lamine Yamal. The 16-year-old teased a return pass into the box, and Donnarumma came flying out to get a hand on it.
The ball squirmed out to Raphinha who finished with his right foot to net his first Champions League goal. Xavi’s side went into the break with a slender lead. They looked … comfortable.
Luis Enrique, clearly less than impressed with his team’s first-half performance, replaced Marco Asensio – who’d started as his main striker – for Bradley Barcola. Dembele was moved down the middle.
It didn’t take long for that new PSG shape to pay dividends. Dembele – who’d looked like PSG’s best attacking outlet in the first half – combined with Mbappé down the left-hand side, and when Mbappé’s cross was cut out, Dembele was fastest to react. The Frenchman shifted the ball onto his left foot and slammed the ball into the roof of the net.
Dembélé became the 10th player to score a UCL goal both for and against Barcelona, and the Spanish side now have the unfortunate accolade of that number being the highest of any club in the competition.
Just two minutes later it was two. Vitinha latched onto a Fabián Ruiz through-ball to slide the ball home. In the blink of an eye, PSG had turned the game on its head.
Yet if PSG’s substitute had changed the game in a subtle, tactical way, the impact of Barcelona’s subs were slap-in-your-face obvious.
Pedri – who Barcelona have desperately missed this season – provided an assist after just 51 seconds. His very first ball of the game was a beauty: a lofted through ball to Raphinha, who clinically volleyed the ball into the bottom corner.
Sometimes football is as simple as having really good players do really good things. Having never scored before in the competition, the Brazilian was suddenly on a hat-trick. Barcelona were level.
It was another Barca substitute who won the tie. Christensen saw Pedri’s impact and said, “hold my beer”, the Dane rising highest from a corner to nod in the winner with his very first touch of the game. In doing so, he became the first Barcelona player to score a Champions League goal on his birthday.
Beers all round then.
With the tie on the soft side of the draw, there is a real chance for one of these teams to make it all the way to the final. PSG were the pre-game favourites to progress, but Barcelona’s win has this tie deliciously poised.
PSG vs Barcelona Timeline
PSG vs Barcelona Stats Centre
Our live Opta match centre delivers you all the PSG vs Barcelona stats from Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg at Parc des Princes.
The match centre below includes team and player stats, expected goals data, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard and more. It gives you everything you need to do your own in-game and post-match analysis.
PSG vs Barcelona Post-Match Facts
- Barcelona registered just their second away UEFA Champions League win against Paris Saint-Germain (D2 L3), also winning in April 2015 when they were managed by Luis Enrique; current Barcelona manager Xavi appeared as a substitute in that match.
- Paris Saint-Germain conceded three goals in a home UEFA Champions League match for the first time since losing 3-1 to Manchester United in March 2019.
- There were just 134 seconds between Ousmane Dembélé equalising for PSG and Vitinha giving them the lead early in the second half, while there were just 71 seconds between Andreas Christensen being subbed on and scoring the winner for Barcelona in the 77th minute.
- Raphinha became the first Barcelona player to score his first UEFA Champions League goal for the club in a quarter-final since Yaya Toure against FC Schalke 04 in April 2008.
- Tonight was only the third time Paris Saint-Germain had gone ahead in a home UEFA Champions League match but went on to lose, also doing so in November 2000 (lost 3-1 to Deportivo de La Coruña) and April 2021 (lost 2-1 to Manchester City).
- Pedri assisted Raphinha’s second goal just 51 seconds after coming on as a substitute for Barcelona tonight. He is the youngest substitute (21y 137d) to assist a goal for Barcelona in an away UEFA Champions League game.
- Since the start of last season, only Robert Lewandowski (70) has been involved in more goals in all competitions for Barcelona than Raphinha (18 goals, 21 assists), with the Brazilian winger scoring six and assisting seven goals in his last 14 starts.
- The two youngest players to ever start a UEFA Champions League quarter final did so for Barcelona tonight – Lamine Yamal (16 years, 272 days) and Pau Cubarsí (17 years, 79 days).
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