At the summit of the Olympic stadium, the flares were ignited. Far below, Kylian Mbappé had effortlessly cleared the advertising boards and was sprinting towards the 3,000 devoted supporters who had made the journey from France.
His teammates pursued him fervently across the track, reveling in the momentous occasion. With just a solitary minute left on the clock, the tension that had permeated the match was finally dispelled.
Paris Saint-Germain had triumphed, securing their place in the semi-finals of the Champions League. They had successfully overturned a 3-2 first leg defeat at the Parc des Princes with a resounding 4-1 victory in Catalonia. Meanwhile, Barcelona’s hopes of progressing were dashed for the sixth consecutive season.
Barcelona emerged victorious on the road this time, without experiencing any collapse or shame. Despite facing tough competition from a side that is a strong contender to reach the final, they managed to hold on long enough to mount a late comeback. However, in the final minute, PSG dashed their hopes by securing a 3-1 lead after coming from behind in both legs.
Achraf Hakimi spearheaded the attack, sprinting down the Montjuïc home straight to create an opportunity for Mbappé. Marc-André ter Stegen made an initial save, denying the first shot, and then blocked Marco Asensio’s second attempt.
However, the ball landed back at Mbappé’s feet, allowing him to score his second goal. “The players maintained their belief,” stated Luis Enrique, and the overwhelming joy they experienced was indescribable. The PSG coach acknowledged that it had been challenging to face his former club and expressed his reluctance to repeat the experience anytime soon.
Barcelona also faced difficulties, with players shedding tears at the final whistle. Despite taking the lead with Raphinha’s goal, they were reduced to ten men after Ronald Araújo received a red card within the first half-hour.
This forced them to withstand PSG’s relentless pressure for an extended period. Xavi firmly disagreed with Luis Enrique’s assertion that PSG would have emerged victorious regardless.
When asked about it, he responded with a resolute “no.” Xavi openly admitted to criticizing the referee, describing him as a disaster. He believed that playing with eleven against ten was nearly impossible, and the referee’s decision had ruined the flow of the game.