Champions League Three reds, five goals
PSG overruns Barcelona, coach Xavi attacks the referee
As of: 12:24 a.m. | Reading time: 2 minutes
Kylian Mbappé scored two goals in Barcelona
Those: AP/Emilio Morenatti
Barcelona won the first leg of the Champions League semi-final at Paris-Saint-Germain 3-2. But that wasn’t enough. In their own stadium, the Spaniards came under attack against Mbappé & Co., including three sendings off.
Three red cards, spectacular goals and a comeback from Paris Saint-Germain that was hardly thought possible: superstar Kylian Mbappé led the French champions to the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time in three years and is now challenging BVB again. PSG won – also thanks to a good 60 minutes of superiority – at FC Barcelona 4:1 (1:1) and thus made up for the 2:3 from the first leg.
This means that the dream of the title is over for the two German national players Marc-André ter Stegen and Ilkay Gündogan in the Barça jersey.
After Raphinha conceded an early goal, ex-Dortmunder Ousmane Dembélé (40th), Vitinha (54th) and Mbappé twice (61st/penalty and 89th) turned the game around. However, the comeback was helped by an early red card against Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo after an emergency stop (29′).
also read
With great annoyance, Barça coach Xavi blamed the Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs for the Champions League knockout. “It’s a pity. Our Champions League is over because of the referee’s mistakes. I told the referee he was a disaster. That’s the reality,” said the former Spanish world and European champion after the game.
also read
The sending off changed the whole game, said the coach. Xavi was so angry during the game that he kicked away a TV camera frame and had to vacate the coaching area. Later, one of his assistants also saw the red card.
PSG will now face Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals, both teams having already played against each other in the group stage. The French are looking forward to their first final since 2020, when they lost 1-0 against FC Bayern under Thomas Tuchel.
also read
Paris’ striker Mbappé can still hope for an international title at the end of his seven-year era in the PSG jersey. The 2018 World Cup winner is expected to move to Barça rivals Real Madrid in the summer.
But that wasn’t enough: Coach Xavi and an assistant from the Catalans also had to vacate their places in the second half because they were annoyed with the Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs.
