Champions League: Mbappé recital, comeback, Ronaldo penalty... PSG-Barça, memories, memories

PSG-Barça, a classic. The Catalan club is the one that Paris-SG has faced the most in its European history, tied with Bayern (13 matches), just ahead of Real (12). Balanced record, with five victories for Barcelona, ​​four for Paris and four draws. FC Barcelona, ​​however, eliminated the Rouge et Bleu four times during the five clashes in the knockout phase, not to mention the C2 final in 1997. The two teams will meet once again in the quarterfinals of C1 (9/10 and April 16/17). Many memories come to mind. We forward selected five.

PSG has taken its revenge since the comeback. Mauricio Pochettino's players had in fact ruled out Ronald Koeman's Barça during the last confrontation between the two clubs. It was in 2021, in the round of 16. 4-1 victory for PSG in the first leg, in an empty Camp Nou, Covid-19 obliges. So much the better for Barcelona supporters, who did not have to endure Kylian Mbappé's recital. In the absence of Neymar Jr, injured, the latter had indeed scored a hat-trick in Catalonia. Barcelona had hung Paris on the return (1-1), with a sublime goal from Leo Messi, in vain.

From laughter to tears. PSG had what is undoubtedly their best European match in the round of 16 first leg of C1, in 2020, against FC Barcelona. 4-0 victory on the Parc des Princes pitch, with a double from Angel Di Maria and goals from Julian Draxler and Edinson Cavani. A collective recital for Unai Emery players. Before the debacle. Or rather, THE debacle, the comeback. Led by a Neymar of (very) great evenings, Barça… of Luis Enrique had crushed Paris 6-1, with this goal from Sergi Roberto in the 95th minute. Supreme humiliation, never before in the history of European cups. German referee Deniz Aytekin had nothing to do with this elimination, that’s clear. But Thiago Silva and company had also and above all given the stick to be beaten. Cruel and painful memory. Marquinhos, Presnel Kimpembe and Layvin Kurzawa are the last three “survivors”.

First campaign in C1 for the Qatari version of PSG, and a quarter-final against Barça on the menu. Quarter-final marked by this equalizing goal from Blaise Matuidi in added time of the first leg, in Paris (2-2). On the return, Javier Pastore opened the scoring and allowed the Parisians to dream. Alas, the entry of Leo Messi changed everything. Uncertain before the match, the Argentinian genius had unsettled the Rouge et Bleu, Pedro taking charge of equalizing and therefore putting Barça in control over both matches. At the time, the away goal counted double in the event of a tie. PSG eliminated without losing, with their heads held high. There was no photo two years later, again in the quarterfinals of C1, with two Barcelona victories (3-1, 2-0). In the meantime, there were two other posters in the group stage, in 2014, including a 3-2 Parisian success at the Parc des Princes.

A time that those under 20 cannot experience. Qualified at least for the semi-finals in the European Cup every year since 1993 and defending Cup Cup winners, the Parisians had an appointment with FC Barcelona in the C2 final, for the double, in 1997. Las , Rai and company had to lower their flag in Rotterdam, beaten 1-0 on a penalty from the Brazilian Ronaldo. However, there was no shortage of opportunities, like this post from Patrice Loko... Note that it was Bruno N'Gotty who caused the Barcelona penalty, which N'Gotty scored the winning goal. previous year in the final, on a free kick, against Rapid Vienna. Luis Enrique? The current Parisian coach played under the colors of FC Barcelona at that time. He even appeared in the starting 11.

After a semi-final in the UEFA Cup and one in the Cup Winners' Cup the two previous years, the Canal version of PSG came up against Johan Cruyff's Barça in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 1995. And this after having won their six group matches, with a George Weah on fire. Which Weah scored in the first leg, in Spain, to bring back the draw (1-1). Rai and Vincent Guérin found the fault on the return, a 2-1 victory and qualification for the C1 semi-finals. The journey ended there, against Milan, but Luis Fernandez's men had completed a journey that remained in the memories.