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7 months ago
44
Of all the goalkeepers in all the world how did the richest club in football end up with Gianluigi Donnarumma? He played his part in all three Barcelona goals as they beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-2.
The former Milan keeper was the gift that kept giving as Xavi’s team got the better of Luis Enrique’s French champions.
The Italian played with fire from Barcelona’s first attack when a long ball over top from Marc Andre ter Stegen sent Raphinha through.
The PSG keeper charged out of his goal and was saved only by the Barca forward seeming to apply the breaks allowing him to clear.
If Raphinha had gone with greater intent it’s hard to see how he could have avoided the foul and the straight red.
Barcelona won a five-goal thriller with PSG in their Champions League quarter-final first leg
PSG's Gianluigi Donnarumma had a night to forget after making errors for all three Barca goals
Andreas Christensen came off the bench to score and complete Barca's comeback
Kylian Mbappe cuts a dejected figure as Barcelona celebrate their third goal of the night
MATCH FACTS
PSG: (4-3-3) Donnarumma; Marquinhos, Hernandez, Lucas Beraldo, Nuno Mendes; Lee (Zaire Emery 61), Vitinha, Fabian (Goncalo Ramos 86); Dembele, Asensio (Barcola 46), Mbappe
Subs not used: Navas (GK), Tenas (GK); Ugarte, Danilo Pereira, Muani, Carlos Soler, Skriniar, Mayulu, Zague
Goals: Dembele (48), Vitinha (51)
Bookings: Vitinha (65), Beraldo (89)
Coach: Luis Enrique
BARCELONA: (4-2-3-1) ter Stegen; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Joao Cancelo; Sergi Roberto (Pedri 61), de Jong (Christensen 75), Gundogan (Lopze 85); Yamal (Joao Felix 61), Lewandowski, Raphinha (Torres 75)
Subs not used: Astralaga (GK), Pena (GK); Martinez, Gonzalez, Alonso, Romeu, Vitor Roque, Fort
Goals: Raphinha (37, 62), Christensen (77)
Bookings: Roberto (34), Cubarsi (82), Christensen (88), Lopez (89)
Coach: Xavi
Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)
Player of the Match: Raphinha (Barcelona)
Venue: Parc des Princes (Paris)
Attendance: 47,470
Donnarumma had another rush of blood to the head shortly afterwards this time getting nowhere near a corner as Barcelona continued to dominate.
And when the opening goal came he was involved.
Robert Lewandowski played the ball out to Lamine Yamal. Donnarumma came for the 16-year-old’s cross but could only palm the ball out to Raphinha who buried it for 1-0.
PSG were glad to get to halftime. Kang-In Lee had stung Ter Stegen’s hands with a shot and a well-shackled Kylian Mbappe had gone theatrically down under a challenge from Joao Cancelo in the area but it was not a penalty and he had been offside anyway.
Only a booking for Sergio Roberto that rules him out of the second leg counted as first-half positive for the French champions.
But at the break Luis Enrique abandoned his failed plan to play Marco Asensio as a false nine, taking him off and the game changed.
Two goals in the first six minutes of the second half turned the match on its head. First Ousmane Dembele lashed the ball past Ter Stegen with a swish of his left foot after turning away from Frenkie de Jong.
Raphinha celebrates after breaking the deadlock in the first half at the Parc des Princes
The Brazilian capitalised on a mistake from Donnarumma to score the game's first goal
The former Leeds man had to guide his shot past two PSG defenders looking to guard the net
Ousmane Dembele then struck against his former side to level the scores in Paris
The Frenchman powered a shot into the Barcelona net to striker against his former employers
The PSG players celebrates with the winger, who got a rare goal in his club's colours
Then Kang-In Lee combined with Fabian Ruiz whose through ball was clipped past the Barcelona goalkeeper by Vitinha.
It looked as if PSG would head to Barcelona with a lead but Donnarumma’s kick went straight to the opposition and when Pedri, who had just come on, played in Raphinha he got his second of the night to level the score.
The game was broken now with both sides attacking as if it was the last quarter of the second leg not the first.
Dembele’s shot came off the post as PSG pushed for a winner but they conceded again 13 minutes from time and it was Donnarumma again.
This time the keeper stay rooted to the spot as an Ilkay Gundongan corner sailed into the six-yard box. Andreas Christensen headed it past him to make it 3-2.
PSG kept driving forward and Dembele was on a one-man mission to make Barcelona pay for some snide remarks prematch that PSG were playing with 10 with him in the side.
He almost put the ball on Mbappe’s head with five minutes left but the forward – in his last season trying to win the Champions League with PSG - launched himself in vain as the ball whistled past him.
Then, minutes later, Vitinha put the Parisian side in front to turn the tie on its head
The Portuguese forward made a darting run into the box before toe-poking the ball into the net
Mbappe (right) passionately celebrates with his team-mates after PSG take the lead
Raphinha then answered back with his second goal of the game to make it 2-2 on the night
The Brazilian superbly volleyed the ball into the net with the outside of his boot
A disconsolate Mbappe can't believe his eyes after PSG surrender the lead in Paris
With Dembele superb and Bradley Barcola outstanding since coming on at the break PSG had made Barcelona work for the first-leg lead.
But when an injury time Mbappe shot went out for a corner it was all over for them until next week.
Barcelona will fancy finishing the job at home, especially with Donnarumma in this form.
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