Ahead of the second leg of Barcelona’s Champions League quarter-closing with Paris Saint-Germain, Blaugrana boss Xavi promised “a footballing war” on Tuesday. What he did not account for, although, was simply how a lot of a task he and his personal group would play in their very own downfall.

The soon-to-depart coach misplaced his head as insanity unfolded earlier than him on the Olympic Stadium, with errors from Ronald Araujo and Joao Cancelo – mixed with scientific ending from Kylian Mbappe – that means Barca blew the combination lead they’d constructed up from the primary leg, and which they quickly added to thanks to Raphinha’s third aim of the tie.

Araujo’s second of insanity, nonetheless, modified the coiurse of Barca’s European journey. Just below half-hour in, the Uruguayan defender dragged down Bradley Barcola as he ran by way of on aim, leaving the referee with no alternative but to ship him off.

The Parisians, predictably, capitalised, piling on the strain as Luis Enrique switched his system to enable his aspect to pour ahead. In the tip, it was Ousmane Dembele who took benefit, ending a effectively-crafted transfer with an emphatic effort into the roof of the online. The guests then accomplished their turnaround after the break, as Vitinha levelled the tie with a guided strike from outdoors the field earlier than Kylian Mbappe transformed from the spot both aspect of Xavi shedding his head and seeing red himself.

Mbappe rounded out the scoring shortly earlier than the total-time whistle, reaping the advantages of one other Blaugrana blunder – this time a poor clearance from Jules Kounde – to smash house with from shut-vary.

By the tip of all of it, Xavi’s footballing struggle had led to defeat, as PSG’s gamers celebrated banishing the ghost of La Remontada. Barca, in the meantime, have been left to rue their errors and marvel what would possibly have been if they’d merely stored their heads on the evening.

GOAL breaks down the most important winners & losers from the Olympic Stadium…