Barcelona and PSG engaged in an enthralling battle over 90 minutes at Parc de Princes last night. The game had no dearth of goals despite neither Kylian Mbappe nor Robert Lewandowski getting on the scoresheet.
The 3-2 win in Paris that the game boiled down to might well be Barcelona’s greatest UCL win in a long time, let alone one away from home.
The team showed great spirit, patience and fortitude to pull through, and one can only admire the manner in which they came back despite a poor start to the second half.
Raphinha’s brace and Andreas Christensen’s late winner helped the team get across the line and enter the second leg with a one-goal lead on aggregate. Needless to say, there is everything to pay for at Montjuic.
Barça Universal brings you three questions and three answers from the team’s first-leg win over PSG.
Three answers
Who would Xavi pick in midfield?
A lot was said about Xavi’s options in midfield ahead of the game at Parc des Princes, especially given the return of Frenkie de Jong from injury.
With the Dutchman lacking match fitness, some debated again his inclusion in the starting lineup while others advocated for him to start in place of Sergi Roberto alongside Ilkay Gundogan and Andreas Christensen.
Xavi’s lineup thus left many taken aback, for he went with neither school of thought.
The manager did count on Frenkie de Jong from the first minute, taking a bet on his match-readiness, but played him in place of Andreas Christensen as the defensive midfielder. Sergi Roberto and Ilkay Gundogan were the two players who accompanied him in midfield.
Who would step up in attack?
Raphinha-Robert Lewandowski-Lamine Yamal was the widely anticipated forward trident expected for the clash against PSG, and Xavi stuck to the template.
While many expected Lamine Yamal to be Barcelona’s single point of difference in the final third, however, the youngster was not at his best.
Starting his first UCL quarterfinal at 16 years of age, Yamal was…
Source link : https://barcauniversal.com/three-questions-and-three-answers-from-psg-2-3-barcelona/
Author : Adithya Eshwarla
Publish date : 2024-04-11 10:08:52
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