Thinking about writing something on the Barça vs PSG second leg and I gotta say, it got pretty emotional watching this match. Barça proved me wrong, and I was initially skeptical about their lack of balance and consistency in performance.
As usual, Barça started cautiously, soaking up pressure from PSG who began aggressively, winning the ball and dominating possession. However, thing changed with nice move on the PSG's left by Yamal, a subtle and silky hesitation unbalanced Mendes and Lamal went past through an inside cut. A good cross followed, allowing Rafinha to score the opening goal – though it was somewhat lucky as it hit his left knee. Still, he showed he can finish chances. At that moment, everything seemed great for Barça, didn't it?
Well, the Football gods had other plans. Firstly, Lewandoski missed a sitter that could have changed the game. PSG continued to play positively, while Barça was reasonably solid at defense, blocking the middle and cutting back as many crosses as possible. Ter Stegen even made a great save from Mbappe's attempt.
Well then thing turned on his head, as soon as Araujo made a wrong pass, that led Barcloa to run straight at the goal. He fouled him, got a red card and all hail break loose for Barca. Down to 10, Lamal got replaced for a center back and PSG started even more pressure and after a while Dembele slot one in from a cross by Barcola.
At halftime, I wondered if Barça could hold on and score another goal. PSG started with similar intensity, while Barça tried to soak up the pressure. As often happens when defending deep, this strategy opened up gaps and slowed reactions. From a short corner, Vitinha found himself with space and launched a right-footed drive that leveled the aggregate score. Shortly after, Barça had an excellent opportunity to score but hit the post instead. Meanwhile, Barca coach Xavi received a straight red card and left his brother to handle the rest of the game.
From that point onwards, I felt it was only a matter of time before PSG took control, so I stopped watching the game – my hopes for Barcelona had been crushed again. In the end, they lost 4-1 in the return leg, following another penalty and counter-attacking goal.
Overall, down to 10 men, Barça struggled immensely, seemingly unprepared for such a scenario. The lack of cool heads and consistency resurfaced at the wrong moment. Also, their inability to be clinical in front of goal cost them any chance of a comeback. PSG played somewhat similarly to how they did in Paris, with their defensive weaknesses remaining unchallenged due to a lack of serious pressure from Barça throughout the game.