Kylian Mbappé was probably the worst player on the pitch as the team formerly known as Barcelona won a match that was incredibly boring and then completely addicting.
this was always the case Real Madrid 3-3 High possibility of reversal after match against Manchester CityHowever, after the first half was over, I wondered why a match between Spain's second strongest team and France's strongest team was so difficult to watch. The other half of us would have asked for patience.
Against a Barcelona team coached by one of the best passers in the history of football, Paris Saint-Germain appeared to be intentionally giving up possession as they let the ball fly long to their big man, but the commentary said, “The hottest ticket in town.'' ” was praised. In order to take it back once more and launch a futile counterattack, we wonder why, when TV directors are in the stands, they don't linger longer on shots of celebrity material chosen to give the impression of a spectacle worth watching. I wondered if it wasn't there. Indeed, Ronaldinho, Luis Figo, Didier Deschamps and Pierre Gasly looked just as unimpressed as the rest of us.
Xavi's game plan was on track. This bears no resemblance to the Barcelona team that the Catalan last won the Champions League in 2015, which he captained and was coached by his opposite number. It's impossible not to compare the two, and it's very difficult to get over that feeling. that is Barcelona and this is not the case, but credit to Xavi for understanding that this group of players cannot play tika-taka and finding a way that suits them.
They displayed a compact and comfortable defense, with Sergi Roberto, Ilkay Gundogan and Frenkie de Jong acting as a very effective shield in midfield, while Rafinha and Lamine Yamal provided a steady threat. He made almost every first pass to Robert Lewandowski, who was deftly leading the line. on the wing.
The opener was too easy. Lewandowski ran through three PSG midfielders, all of whom could have tackled him but did not, and Yamal's ball into the box was dangerous but very shaky. It should have been sent far away by Gianluigi Donnarumma, but it fell at Lewandowski's feet. The unmarked Rafinha kept his cool to beat the two players on the line.
Xavi led Barcelona's victory over PSG.
By half-time Kylian Mbappé had the fewest touches on the pitch (21), but apart from Marco Asensio, who wisely replaced Luis Enrique at half-time, we have since lost such a reputation. We were able to experience soccer worthy of a proud team. It caught fire in a very unusual way.
PSG equalized in the 48th minute thanks to a powerful strike from Ousmane Dembele, but some clean build-up play on the right wing led to Vicinha's exquisite touch and finish to give the home side the lead by the 50th minute.
Bradley Barcola made a difference by coming on in place of Asensio and was one of eight Under-21 players featured on the night, including teenagers Yamal, Pau Kvarci, Barcelona's equalizer, which also included Warren Zair Emery and the relatively veteran Pedri, who produced a sublime pass.
The 21-year-old, who had just returned from injury and started on the bench, clipped a straight pass past the PSG defense into the path of Rafinha, who smashed the ball in with perhaps more than an assist. A run and a volley with the outside of the left foot over the shoulder. wonderful.
The flow of the match, which at this point had seemed like only PSG could win, took an almost surprising turn. But, as is often the case in the Champions League, Enrique's side threw it away. Andreas Christensen, who was brought in to strengthen Barcelona's midfield, headed in with his first touch from Gundogan's corner kick, with little pressure from the PSG defenders, and Donnarumma should have been on target.
Enrique will be left wondering how his players were able to shake off the game when they were so dominant after half-time, and how his talisman worked. of world soccer talisman – It can be very anonymous.
Mbappé had three shots, none of which were a threat, but he lost the ball five times, more than anyone else, and perhaps most notably, he only completed one dribble. That means I didn't let it happen. Either he isn't particularly concerned about his impending move to Real Madrid, or he's unhappy that he hasn't been used much by Enrique in recent weeks as the PSG manager prepares for a future without him. It would be easy to suggest that it is. Either or both could be true, but what we know for sure is that it wasn't the real Kylian Mbappé.
It wasn't even the real Barcelona. This means the old Barcelona team that we will continue to deify. However, it was an effective move and the club's chances of reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the second time in eight years have increased significantly. They're not “back” but they're pretty much back.
Read more: Kylian Mbappé is a galactic pain, but it's worth it
