Barça take Paris and push Mbappé out of Champions League spotlight
Luis Enrique greeted Xavi in the tunnel with a shout of "pelopo" while the Catalan told him "what an aggressiveness" as they embraced. It was the prelude to the match, marked by the Movistar+ broadcast where Germán Burgos commented that if Yamal was not doing well at Barça he could go to a traffic light and touch the ball. There was no malice or racism in his message, but the thin skin of Barça and even PSG meant that they refused to give interviews to this medium which, by the way, pays a lot for the rights. Burgos apologised, but to little avail.
On the Parc des Princes pitch, Luis Enrique put in two centre-halves and that made the game difficult for him. It looked like Mbappé and Dembelé would be enough with Asensio behind, but Barça also "ran the ball", as Guardiola would say, and Raphinha was crowned with the first goal, although Dembelé and Vitinha turned the game on its head. It was the darkest moment for Xavi's side, who were able to recover with Raphinha's 2-2, despite PSG hitting the post to make it 3-1 and put the game beyond doubt.
Mbappé did not make much of an appearance. A few long-range shots but little space to run, Xavi studied the Frenchman well and managed to nullify him. Christensen made it 2-3 in the 77th minute with a header in the six-yard box. All the components to blame Donnarumma who seems comfortable with Keylor Navas as a substitute. The huge Italian keeper didn't jump and the Barça centre-back finished in an improper but effective manner to score a goal that could be worth the semi-final.
Barça simply defended until the end. But it does so in a much more consistent manner than months ago and that has Cubarsí growing into a much-needed position for the club. Pedri was another of the big names. His bad leg provided the pass to Raphinha for the 2-2 draw and, as he explained, he didn't even remember the pain when he played the pass.
Luis Enrique was the one singled out by the fans and the French press. They expect a lot from this team and Mbappé's last season, but the football he showed against Barça was not what got them to the quarter-finals or what they have been playing in Europe. The Asturian coach said they would go and play a final at Montjuic, but the scoreline doesn't go with them.
"Pelopo" intends to leave at the end of the season whatever happens, but getting the team into the semi-finals could be a very good incentive to achieve his goal: that Barça and even the press implore his continuity.
In Madrid, Atlético forged another magical night at the Metropolitano. Little by little, the stadium in Madrid's San Blas neighbourhood is becoming closer to the Vicente Calderón. There was no doubt that Simeone would put his best eleven on the pitch with his best football to do at home what he doesn't know how to do away.
De Paul in a perfect pressure and Lino scored the two goals, although Haller reduced the gap at the end and leaves everything too open for the second leg in Germany. Morata continues his drought, but that does not worry Cholo who sees other qualities and other work in the way he plays.
Just like Barça, Atlético de Madrid have found in the Champions League a way to entertain themselves so that the season does not become too long. The good news is that both teams have got their first legs back on track in such a way that the semi-finals are a real option.