Raphinha shines brightest in Paris
Barcelona beat PSG 3-2 on Wednesday on a fantastic Champions League night that featured a host of attacking talent and goals galore at the Parc des Princes.
Much was expected from Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski, but it was Raphinha who shone brightest and went some way to paying off his lofty transfer fee.
The Brazilian’s first Champions League goal put Barca ahead in the tie, while his brilliant second drew the visitors level at a time when Xavi’s side were really wobbling.
Xavi had plenty of praise for the Brazilian after the game on what was surely his most important performance for the club.
“He is a different and differential player because of his potential. He is one of the best players in the world in space,” he said. “He finishes a lot, he has goals. He gives us dynamism, he pressures, he is intense, he has a lot of virtues. I am very happy for him, he deserves it. Very proud.”
Raphinha’s now scored as many goals at Parc des Princes this season as Ousmane Dembele and also stole all the headlines away from golden boy Mbappe.
Of course Lewandowski also deserves credit for a superb display. The Pole may not have been on the scoresheet but his hold-up play and ability to link with team-mates was key.
Barcelona’s returning stars make the difference
Barcelona were boosted by the return from injury of Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Andreas Christensen for the match and all three were key to the win.
Xavi threw De Jong straight back into the starting XI despite the midfielder having missed over a month out with an ankle injury.
Pedri came on in the second half and needed very little time to remind everyone of his quality. His assist for Raphinha’s second goal was a brilliant introduction to the game.
And then there’s Andreas Christensen. The Dane netted the winner straight after coming on to ensure Barca head home with a vital advantage. A perfect way to celebrate his 28th birthday.
The only downside is that he also received a booking, meaning he will miss the second leg at Montjuic and Xavi will need to find a way to cope without the versatile Dane.
Can Barcelona finish the job?
Barcelona’s performance means they are now in a perfect position to go on and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2019.
Yet it’s not as easy as all that, something Xavi was quick to point out after the game in his post-match interview.
“PSG are still the favourites. It will be very difficult to win in Barcelona,” he said. “Today we played well because we were united defensively. I’m very proud, everything worked well. We have to improve our concentration in the first minutes of the second half. We managed to mature and recover from a match that became very difficult.”
PSG certainly showed they can hurt Barcelona, particularly when they came out firing after half-time and scored twice through Vitinha and Ousmane Dembele.
Yet with Pau Cubarsi, Ronald Araujo and Jules Kounde around, Barcelona can be optimistic they can get the result required to set up a semi against Atletico or Dortmund.
Barcelona will also feel they can plunder more goals, particularly after scoring three times in Paris. In Ilkay Gundogan, they also have the player who has created more chances than anyone else in the Champions League this season.
And Barca’s team spirit should also stand them in good stead. They could have folded after going 2-1 down early in the second half but responded well with a show of unity that will be required again on Tuesday night.
