Barcelona Pulls Off The Most Astonishing Comeback In European History
Barcelona made Champions League history at the Nou Camp on Wednesday night as they stunned Paris St-Germain 6-1 to progress to the quarter-finals with a 6-5 aggregate win.
The Catalan club became the first team to overturn a first-leg 4-0 deficit as they knocked out the French champions to reach the last 8 for the 10th successive season. They also became the first team to win 300 matches in European competition.
The Spanish champions were 5-3 down on aggregate in the 88th minute, but scored three goals in the final seven minutes in one of the greatest European ties of all time.
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Sergi Roberto’s 95th minute winner sealed victory on an incredible night at the 99,000-capacity Nou Camp stadium.
Barcelona had led 2-0 at the break courtesy of Luis Suarez’s header after just three minutes and Layvin Kurzawa’s own goal.
Lionel Messi added the third early in the second half from the penalty spot to increase but an Edinson Cavani volley in the 62nd minute silenced the home fans.
And Neymar, who delivered a stunning performance, turned provider for substitute Roberto, who poked home his first goal of the season to send the home fans into delirious celebration.
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Three weeks before, Barcelona was out of the Champions League — beaten, 4-0, in Paris, humiliated and exposed. No team in the competition’s history had ever recovered from such a yawning deficit.
Man of the match, Neymar described the game as the match of his career.
“This is the best game I have ever played. For what it meant, for what we experienced and because I am in great form,” Neymar told BeIN Sports.
“I know that we have made history. A team like this can do anything.”
“It is a difficult night to explain with words,” said Barca boss Luis Enrique, who will leave the club at the end of the season.
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“It was a horror movie, not a drama, with a Camp Nou that I have seen very few times as a player or coach.
“What defines this victory is the faith that the players and fans had.”
Match-winner Roberto added, “They say the fans are one more player, but today they were 10 more.
“In the end, this is also for them. Now to celebrate and think about the league game [against Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday.”
