When Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona step out onto the pitch at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, it will likely be the top viewed sporting event in the world across the past few weeks to even months.
Two teams that bring flare and drama out on the field with face off in each teams second game in the UEFA Champions League, where they last matched up in April of 2024 in the Quarterfinal, with the Parisians winning on aggregate, 6-4. Game 1 was at the Parc des Princes, where the Spaniards picked up the 3-2 win, but PSG came right back, and on Spanish soil just six days later, won 4-1. It could be argued the win was due to a Ronald Araújo red card in the 19th minute.
Why could people be so invested in this matchup you may ask? Well not only does it feature eight of the top twelve players from the Ballon d’Or race that took place last week, but is also has Luis Enrique heading back to Spain, where he once stood on the other side.
While Enrique will be standing in the shadows of the visitors bench, a new man to this matchup as a manager will hear the oh’s and ah’s of the home supporters in Hansi Flick, as Xavi Hernández didn’t see many more matches as the head of Barcelona following these teams last meeting.
PSG and Enrique are fresh off having a Ballon d’Or winner in Ousmane Dembélé, he himself winning the Johan Cruyff Trophy, the team winning Club of the Year, and Gianluigi Donnarumma, who is now at Manchester City, taking home the Yashin Trophy.
All of these accolades put a target on the French sides back, in addition to Enrique having won nearly everything he could win with the team is his time at the helm. At the same time, however, it was also topping a team that he played for for eight seasons, managed for three, and additionally started his managerial career at the B side.
With how much love he had for the Spanish side, he even had come out and said following the match, “I never want to have to face Barça again in the next 10 years.” All of this shows how much of a home Barcelona became to Enrique, and now he is set to head there once again.
Transitioning to the tie with the players on the field, who knows what would’ve come for Barcelona if it wasn’t for the Araújo foul that sent him off. The team was up 4-2 in the draw at the time, having gone up early from a 12th minute Raphinha goal, but then it all fell apart just before halftime.
Dembélé scored in the 40th minute, and following halftime, Vitinha would tie it up on aggregate in the 54th. To seal it all off for the French side, Kylian Mbappé would score a 61st minute penalty to put them ahead, and again in the 89th, as Barcelona was pressing for overtime.
Who knows what will come this time around in the draw. It is only one leg. Barcelona has a new manager. PSG no longer has their 6′ 5″ goalkeeper. With last weeks multiple awards for the French side is there added pressure. Mbappé is at Real Madrid.
Nobody knows what the outcome will be, but there is more than one storyline to be had when both teams step out onto the field at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
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