Kylian Mbappe scored a brace, but according to President Nasser Al-Khelaifi, coach Luis Enrique, and the quality of the team’s collective training, those were the factors that helped PSG come back against Barca in the Champions League.
“After the first leg, I said that the whole team must be confident. The Champions League is a tough competition and there are always difficult moments. But we have a great coach, and I trust Enrique and the coaching staff,” Al-Khelaifi said on RMC Sport television.
PSG lost 2-3 at home at Parc des Princes in the first leg. When playing away at Montjuic – Barca’s home ground this season – yesterday, they conceded a goal from Raphinha in the 12th minute. But the game turned around when defender Ronald Araujo brought down Bradley Barcola inside Barca’s penalty area and received a straight red card in the 29th minute. With a man advantage, PSG reversed the situation, scoring four goals through Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha, and a brace from Kylian Mbappe to win 4-1, and advance with an aggregate score of 6-4.”
“When asked by Le Parisien about Mbappe’s role in this victory, Al-Khelaifi replied: ‘This is a team victory, not of any individual. PSG won with 11 players on the field.’
The head of PSG then continued to praise the role of Coach Enrique: ‘Today, the team showed a desire to win, character, starting from the coach – someone who understands Barca very well.’
Mbappe is the biggest star of PSG. But his relationship with the club’s leaders is strained, after confirming he won’t extend his contract when the current season ends. Since then, the French national team captain has often been benched or not fully utilized in most of PSG’s matches.
Since being taken over by the Qatari owners, this is PSG’s second time reaching the Champions League semi-finals. In the 2019-2020 season, they reached the final but lost 0-1 to Bayern in Lisbon. This time, the Parisian club will face another German representative in the semi-finals, Dortmund. ‘The Champions League semi-finals are always difficult. We met Dortmund in the group stage. We know them well, and the whole team must prepare well,’ Al-Khelaifi recalled PSG’s 1-1 draw against Dortmund away and 2-0 win at home in the group stage this season.
After the match, Al-Khelaifi went down to the pitch to applaud nearly 3,000 fans present at Montjuic to support the club. He called them the greatest fans in the world.”
Chairman Al-Khelaifi went down to the field to thank the group of PSG supporters present at Montjuic for their support of PSG.
Meanwhile, Enrique is proud to have helped PSG advance for the first time after losing the first leg in the knockout stage of the Champions League, just as he had stated before the match. PSG has also knocked out Barcelona the most times in the Champions League, three times, in the quarter-finals of the 1994-1995 season, the round of 16 in the 2020-2021 season, and the quarter-finals of this season. “I don’t have a magic wand, but I said before the match that it was possible,” the Spanish coach said. “The result of the first leg was unfair, and a draw would have been more reasonable. We knew we could score many goals. I dedicate this victory to the 3,000 fans who came here.”
Mbappe has scored six goals in just four matches against Barcelona in the Champions League, with a hat-trick at Camp Nou, one goal at Parc des Princes in 2021, and a brace at the Olympic Lluis Companys Stadium on April 16th. Barcelona is also Mbappe’s favorite opponent in the tournament with six goals, followed by Club Brugge with five. “I dream of winning the Champions League for PSG,” Mbappe said. “I’m proud to play for this club, representing the capital city club of my country, where I grew up, which is something very special to me. Experiencing nights like these as a Parisian is truly amazing. We have one more step to reach the final at Wembley, and we need to stay calm.”