FC Barcelona bow out of the Champions league 5-2 on aggregate against Paris

FC Barcelona bow out of the Champions league 5-2 on aggregate against Paris

Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring the opener

Lionel Messi failed to convert his spot kick in the first-half

FC Barcelona’s desired Remontada 2.0 was not to happen against Paris for the 2nd time around as they drew 1-1 in the second leg. Barcelona needed to win by a margin of more than 3 goals in Paris to qualify for the quarter finals of the Champions league.

Kylian Mbappe, the hat-trick hero for Paris in the first leg gave the Parisians the lead with a neatly taken penalty in the first half. Lionel Messi equalized for Barcelona with a thunderbolt strike from outside the box to bring Barcelona level on the night.

Keylor Navas emerged as the hero for Paris in the 2nd leg

Barcelona began the match at a high intensity and created a number of chances in the opening stages. Ousmane Dembele missed a couple of great chances to put Barcelona ahead within the opening 20 minutes as Barcelona dominated.

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Against the run of play, Paris earned a penalty in the 30th minute after Clement Lenglet caught the boot of Mauro Icardi. The penalty appeals were initially rejected by Anthony Taylor, but the English referee pointed to the spot after consulting the pitch-side VAR monitor. Kylian Mbappe scored to give Paris the lead and increased their advantage to 5-1 overall.

Lionel Messi enflames from over 25 yards into the top corner with a swerving effort giving Barcelona fans a hope of a comeback. The comeback looked definitely on as Barcelona was awarded a penalty in the dying stages of the first-half. Lionel Messi, took the penalty but his effort was saved by a diving Keylor Navas to keep the scores level going into the second half.

The second half started as Barcelona presses for a second goal but the drop in energy levels was evident as the relied more on possession. Pochettino’s Paris side looked more stable in the second half as they defended their aggregate lead.

The result meant Barcelona’s recent struggles continued in the Champions league. Pochettino will now be able to add another cap to his managerial career as he helped Paris overcome the Barcelona challenge.

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