PSG vs Barcelona LIVE: Champions League result and final score after five-goal thriller in Paris
PSG 2-3 Barcelona: Barca withstood a second-half comeback to stun the hosts in Paris and take a narrow lead back to Spain
Raphinha scored twice to help Barcelona secure a 3-2 win at Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Barca dominated proceedings early on against the French side still looking for a first Champions League crown and led through a Raphinha strike in the 37th minute.
However, PSG piled on the pressure after the break and levelled in the 48th minute through a stunning Ousmane Dembele strike into the top corner before going ahead when Vitinha stroked the ball in two minutes later.
But Raphinha’s deft volley in the 62nd minute brought the match level again, before Andreas Christensen headed in from a corner 13 minutes from time to give the Spanish side a narrow advantage going into next week’s second leg.
Follow live updates in tonight’s match blog, below, and get the latest odds and tips, here.
PSG vs Barcelona
It’s an English officiating team tonight, Anthony Taylor overseeing affairs with the whistle and Stuart Attwell on VAR duties.
PSG vs Barcelona
Righty ho then. What hope of this living up to the high bar set by yesterday’s first legs? These two flawed sides feel capable of chaos, but you wonder if avoiding being out of the tie may be the primary objective.
How will PSG set up?
PSG have left both Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani on the bench, perhaps hoping to spring Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele in behind. A start for Marco Asensio is something of a surprise but the ex-Real Madrid man should offer creativity.
A huge night for Pau Cubarsi
There’s so much of intrigue tonight, but how about the story of Pau Cubarsi, who becomes the youngest defender to start a Champions League quarter-final. Barely 17, the centre-half has shot to prominence this year and was so impressive in the round of 16 second leg against Napoli - but dealing with Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele will represent a considerable test.
Tonight’s other tie
Down in the Spanish capital, meanwhile, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund are readying themselves for Champions League combat in a fixture that represents a lost era, as Miguel Delaney explains:
Why Atletico vs Dortmund represents the Champions League’s lost era
Forget Arsenal-Bayern, Manchester City-Real Madrid and PSG-Barcelona, writes Miguel Delaney, the best tie of the Champions League quarter-finals represents the essence of competition from a throwback era
Two Barcelona greats on the touchline
Luis Enrique and Xavi will reunite in the technical area tonight, two Barcelona midfield greats on opposite sides in this tie. The pair are former colleagues, of course, Enrique engineering a treble in 2015 with Xavi still a key cog at the Catalan club.
Enrique pricked the ears up of the Spanish press when he suggested yesterday that he represented the values of Barcelona better than their current coach.
“I represent the Barca way better, although others may have different opinions,” said Enrique ahead of tonight’s first leg. “Just look at all the stats and the trophies won.
“I have to say that I don’t know Xavi at all as a coach, only as a team-mate and as a player because I worked with him.
“I know Barca very well and I know their players but I don’t know if that is an advantage or not. Emotionally this means a lot to me because of my experiences there.”
Team news - Paris-Saint Germain
With Achraf Hakimi absent, It appears that club captain Marquinhos may be deployed on the right of PSG’s back four.
PSG XI: Donnarumma; Marquinhos, Beraldo, Lucas Hernandez, Nuno Mendes; Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Kang in Lee; Asensio, Mbappe, Dembele.
Team news - Barcelona
Frenkie de Jong is fit to start in midfield for Barcelona, with Pedri back among the substitutes.
Barcelona XI: Ter Stegen; Kounde, Cubarsi, Araujo, Cancelo; Gundogan, De Jong, Roberto; Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha.
PSG vs Barcelona
Security will be tight at the Parc des Princes tonight after terrorist threats made earlier in the week.
French police up security and tow away cars at PSG stadium after Isis threats
At PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium, police are towing away parked cars and installing concrete blocks
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