Barca super subs down PSG in Champions League thriller
Andreas Christensen scored a late winner with his first touch after coming off the bench as Barcelona used their super subs to beat PSG 3-2 to take control of their Champions League quarter-final tie.
A brilliant night at the Parc des Princes started with PSG dominating the opening 15 minutes with six shots on goal, but they were behind at half-time thanks to Raphinha’s breakaway goal (37).
But PSG came out firing after the break as two goals in the space of two minutes and 13 seconds from Ousmane Dembele (48) and Vitinha (50) turned the match on its head.
Then came the arrival of Barcelona’s super subs as Pedri emerged off the bench and – with his first touches – set up Raphinha (62) for an equaliser via a stunning volley.
PSG then hit the woodwork twice through Bradley Barcola and Dembele, but former Chelsea defender Christensen (77) nodded in the match-settling goal from close range from a corner just seconds after entering the pitch.
It rounded off a topsy-turvy first-leg encounter, ahead of the decisive return fixture in Barcelona next week.
How Barcelona put one foot in the semi-finals
PSG tried to make their home advantage count early on with a flurry of early chances.
Kylian Mbappe fired wide from inside the box, before Kang-In Lee and Marco Asensio tested goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s palms from outside the box. Nuno Mendes nearly scored a brilliant solo goal but a last-ditch block from Ronald Araujo blocked his effort inside the penalty area.
But Barcelona grew into the game after a tricky start and nearly took the lead as Robert Lewandowski beat Gianluigi Donnarumma at a corner, but Mendes scampered back to clear off the line.
Raphinha then tested the PSG goalkeeper with a stunning long-range drive which needed to be tipped wide, but the Brazilian eventually got his opener eight minutes before half-time.
Lewandowski did brilliantly to feed teenager Lamine Yamal down the right, his cross was palmed into the path of Raphinha, who found the top corner after adjusting his feet.
That goal acted as a sucker punch for PSG at half-time but the French side came out galvanised and six minutes into the second period, they had two goals to put them ahead.
First, Dembele latched onto Mbappe’s cleared cross to fire a thunderbolt into the roof of the net. Then, Vitinha was slipped in by Fabian Ruiz and the PSG midfielder tucked in a finish past Ter Stegen.
Then chaos ensued in a topsy-turvy match. Lewandowski inexplicably put a free header wide from eight yards out, while PSG half-time substitute Barcola saw his rasping effort tipped onto the bar by Ter Stegen.
But just moments after Pedri was introduced by Xavi, Barcelona were level. The Spanish midfielder’s first touch of the game was to control the ball, the second to lift a stunning ball over the top for Raphinha, who volleyed home with the outside of his boot.
Back came PSG in search of their lead back. Barcola was denied by Araujo’s last-ditch challenge before Dembele hit the foot of the post after being played in by Vitinha.
Two minutes later, Barcelona landed the final blow. A simple corner found Christensen unmarked in the box and his header flew past the helpless Donnarumma.
PSG were shattered once again and their best chance fell to Mbappe, who had a shot deflected just wide in the third minute of stoppage time. If the Barcelona leg is half as exciting as this one, we are in for a treat.
What’s next?
The second leg sees PSG travel to Barcelona on Tuesday April 16 (8pm).
Barcelona visit Cadiz in LaLiga on Saturday (8pm), before hosting the Ligue 1 champions in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.
PSG have the weekend off.
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