UCL: PSG knock out Barcelona

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 Barcelona 1 - 4 PSG (Aggregate: 4-6)

Kylian Mbappe scored twice as his Paris St-Germain side thrashed Barcelona to turn around a first-leg deficit and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.

You can watch the highlights of the match in the video below. Footage from the TNT Sports YouTube account.

The French side had trailed 3-2 after the first leg but they reached the last four for the first time since 2021 after what can only be considered a chaotic encounter in Spain.

PSG will face Borussia Dortmund in the semi-final after they beat Atletico Madrid 5-4 on aggregate in what was another thrilling encounter.

Where did it go wrong for Barca?

It was actually the Catalan side who struck first when Lamine Yamal drove down the pitch, beating Nuno Mendes and clipping over for former Leeds United star Raphinha to score. The Barcelona fans and players assumed it was all going according to plan. Things were to go very wrong in the second-half.

Things started to unravel when Ronald Araujo received a straight red card for clipping a PSG player just outside the area and denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Ousmane Dembele eventually capitalised on the one player advantage for PSG. This was quickly followed by a goal for Vitinha who made it 1-2 on the night.

Two goals from Kylian Mbappe, the first from the penalty spot in the 61st minute before he sealed this iconic win just before injury time was announced. 

The scenes in Barcelona amongst the away support were reminiscent of so many occasions when the result went better for the Catalan side, most notably in 2017 when a Lionel Messi-inspired Barca side came from 4-0 down to beat PSG 6-5 on aggregate. 

Let's explore some of the best reaction

Lauren, a Chelsea fan, watched the match on TV. She told us: "That was a fantastic performance by PSG. Even though they were playing against ten men, they took advantage well. There was some awful defending from Barcelona at times and their fans will be annoyed with how much they fell apart."

William, a Liverpool fan, added: "That was a thoroughly entertaining match. I always love to see lots of drama in these big Champions League matches and this game had that in abundance."

Marcus is a PSG fan who now lives in London. He told us: "For all his faults, Mbappe deserves to win a Champions League with us. He has given us so many amazing moments and this would be a fitting farewell before he moves to Real Madrid."

Location: Barcelona, Spain

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