Why PSG Correcting Simple Mistakes Led to Eliminating Barcelona, per Pundit

Paris Saint-Germain staged an impressive comeback victory against FC Barcelona on Tuesday night at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. One RMC Sport pundit reveals why the French giants were able to stage this thrilling performance to advance to the UEFA Champions League semifinal..

Initially falling behind 1-0 (4-2 on aggregate), the Parisian team got a boost when Ronald Araújo was shown a red card for a foul on Bradley Barcola.

When Barcelona played with ten men, the Parisians capitalized on the situation. Luis Enrique and his team scored four unanswered goals, with Ousmane Dembélé haunting his former team with a goal late in the first half.

Vitinha netted a goal in the 54th minute, bringing the aggregate score to 4-4 while giving the Ligue 1 side a 2-1 lead in the match. Kylian Mbappé followed up with a penalty kick goal in the 61st minute and sealed the deal with another goal in the 89th minute, securing a 6-4 aggregate score.

RMC Sport pundit Christophe Dugarry praised Paris’ qualification and revealed why they did so, backhandedly complimenting Enrique.

“In terms of mindset, I see a team,” Dugarry said on RMC Sport. “I’m ready to eat my hat if it pleases Jérôme [Rothen]. When this team plays well, a true collective emerges. This team has shown it in certain matches, with impressive phases of play, even though it lacks consistency. There’s a spirit forming. We have to acknowledge that something is building among the players.

“If today someone explains to me that we’re hailing Luis Enrique as a genius because he finally placed the players in their proper positions, then we must cry out scandal and fraud regarding the first leg of the match. I still haven’t understood what he did in the first leg. He corrected his own huge mistakes in the return leg—mistakes that could have cost PSG the qualification. He’s the one who selects the lineup, he’s responsible for both the first leg and the return leg.”

“Congratulations to the genius Luis Enrique for playing players in their positions! I don’t want to come off as negative. I saw a good football match yesterday, the qualification is deserved. But if we analyze this match concretely, there’s a match before and a match after the expulsion (of Ronald Araujo). Paris had the right desire, so the coach bears some responsibility. (…) We can shout genius, but he just made a normal team composition! Well done Luis Enrique!”

PSG are now off to the Champions League semifinal, where they’ll face Borussia Dortmund, whom they’ve already encountered in the group stage this season.