Barça, to appropriate the Olympic magic of Montjuïc against PSG
The Blaugranas start with an advantage (2-3) in search of their first ‘semi’ in five seasons
BARCELONA, 15 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
FC Barcelona receives Paris Saint-Germain this Tuesday at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys (9:00 p.m.) in the second leg of the quarterfinals of the Champions League, with the favorable result of the first leg (2-3) in Paris to try , together with the Olympic magic of Barcelona ’92 and Montjuïc, surpass some Parisians who will have that magic next summer and who arrive ready to turn the tables.
Paris has already experienced two Summer Olympic Games (1900 and 1924) and will experience the third this year, but the Olympic magic of Montjuïc is still alive and even more so in the stadium that hosted the big events, the same one in which Barça hopes to do well that great result from the first leg to sign, in their best season in ‘Champions’ in recent times, a new semi-final.
There have been four last seasons in which Barça has not managed to reach the semi-finals and they hope that this campaign, five later, will be the good one. For now, the good first leg game allows us to dream. And also to see that the group has not lost for about three months and that, finally, the club, the environment and the fans are coming together.
Danger of relaxation? With this Barça, you never know. Looking back makes you remember Liverpool or Rome. Although then, especially in the match with Liverpool, in the 20019 semi-finals, Barça forgave the 4-0 at the Camp Nou in the boots of Ousmane Dembélé, who now returns ‘home’ (the rented one) with the shirt of PSG and with the Blaugrana parish offended by the celebration of his goal in the Parc des Princes.
Barça will have to show that they learn from past mistakes. If Xavi hits the key again and can nullify Kylian Mbappé again, a good part of the work will be done. But not all. Barça cannot think that they are in the semi-finals because away goals are no longer worth double and, with these regulations, a simple 0-1 French score takes the match to extra time.
After winning in Cádiz with a great goal from João Félix (0-1) and a clear B team, Barça took a breath. He did his job and Ilkay Gündogan and Raphinha barely played the last 10 minutes.
So the Blaugranas arrive fresh for this event, with Andreas Christensen and Sergi Roberto missing due to suspension, in addition to those with long-term injuries. Presnel Kimpembe is still out at PSG but Luis Enrique Martínez will have a stronger team compared to the first leg.
The Blaugrana coach, who in the run-up to this duel was “fully convinced” that his team was going to turn around the 2-3 deficit and that he would not speculate anything, recovers Achraf Hakimi (suspended in the first leg) and now has in Fast winger Barcola is in full shape, who together with Dembélé and Mbappé will almost certainly form a strong offensive triplet. New test for Araujo, Cubarsí (he left in Paris) and company.
“The atmosphere in Montjuïc has to be like that of the Camp Nou, a cauldron, we need the fans. There will be difficult moments, there will be moments where PSG will make us suffer like in the first leg,” warned the Blaugrana coach, Xavi Hernández, in the previous. The one from Terrassa, without any pressure after his already distant farewell announcement on a delayed basis, wants to leave in style. And, for now, achieving the first ‘Champions’ semi-final in five years would help. Let Montjuïc work its magic.
FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Koundé, Araujo, Cubarsi, Cancelo; De Jong, Gundogan, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski and Raphinha.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Hernandez, Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Fabian; Dembele, Mbappe and Barcola.
–ARBITER: István Kovács (RUM).
— STADIUM: Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium.
–TIME: 9:00 p.m./Movistar Champions League.
