Of all the goalkeepers in the world, how did the richest club in football end up with Gianluigi Donnarumma? He played the part in all three of Barcelona’s goals as they beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-2.
The former Milan goalkeeper was the gift that kept on giving as Xavi’s team beat Luis Enrique’s French champions.
The Italian played with fire from Barcelona’s first attack when a long ball from Marc Andre ter Stegen sent Raphinha over.
The PSG goalkeeper ran out of his goal and was only saved by the Barça forward who seemed to apply the pauses that allowed him to clear.
If Raphinha had gone with more intention, it is difficult to see how he could have avoided the foul and the straight red.
Barcelona won a five-goal thriller with PSG in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.
PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma had a night to forget after making errors in all three of Barça’s goals
Andreas Christensen came off the bench to score and complete Barça’s comeback
Kylian Mbappé looks dejected as Barcelona celebrates their third goal of the night.
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Donnarumma had another torrent of blood to the head soon after, this time missing a corner as Barcelona continued to dominate.
And when the first goal came he was involved.
Robert Lewandowski passed the ball to Lamine Yamal. Donnarumma came for a cross from the 16-year-old, but could only pass the ball to Raphinha, who buried it for 1-0.
PSG arrived happy at half-time. Kang-In Lee had stung Ter Stegen’s hands with a shot and Kylian Mbappé, well chained, had fallen theatrically in the face of a challenge from Joao Cancelo in the area, but it was not a penalty and he was offside anyway.
Only a warning to Sergio Roberto that left him out of the second leg counted as positive in the first half for the French champion.
But at half-time Luis Enrique abandoned his failed plan to play Marco Asensio as a false nine, removing him and the game changed.
Two goals in the first six minutes of the second half turned the game around. First, Ousmane Dembélé beat Ter Stegen with a movement of his left foot after moving away from Frenkie de Jong.
Raphinha celebrates after breaking the tie in the first half at the Parc des Princes
The Brazilian took advantage of a mistake by Donnarumma to score the first goal of the game
The former Leeds player had to guide his shot between two PSG defenders who were looking to score the net.
Ousmane Dembélé hit his former team to level the score in Paris.
The Frenchman shot at Barcelona’s goal to attack his former bosses
PSG players celebrate with the winger, who scored a rare goal in the colors of his club
Kang-In Lee then combined with Fabián Ruiz, whose through ball was beaten by Vitinha and past the Barcelona goalkeeper.
It seemed that PSG were going to go to Barcelona with an advantage, but Donnarumma’s shot went straight to the opponent and when Pedri, who had just entered, played in Raphinha he got the second of the night to equalize the score.
The match was now broken with both teams attacking as if it were the last quarter of the second leg and not the first.
Dembélé’s shot went off the post as PSG looked for the winning goal, but they conceded again with 13 minutes left and it was Donnarumma again.
This time the goalkeeper remained rooted to the spot when Ilkay Gundongan’s corner entered the six-yard box. Andreas Christensen headed in and made it 3-2.
Then, minutes later, Vitinha put the Parisian team ahead to turn the tie around.
The Portuguese striker ran into the area before kicking the ball into the net with his toe.
Mbappé (right) celebrates passionately with his teammates after PSG take the lead
Raphinha then responded with his second goal of the game to make it 2-2 on the night.
The Brazilian finished with a volley with the outside of his boot
A heartbroken Mbappé can’t believe his eyes after PSG relinquishes the lead in Paris
PSG continued to advance and Dembélé was on a mission to make Barcelona pay for some sarcastic pre-match comments that PSG were playing with 10 and he was on the side.
He almost put the ball on Mbappé’s head with five minutes remaining, but the striker, in his last season trying to win the Champions League with PSG, lunged in vain as the ball whizzed past him.
With Dembélé superb and Bradley Barcola outstanding since coming on at half-time, PSG had made Barcelona work to take the lead in the first leg.
But when Mbappé’s shot in injury time went for a corner, it was all over for them until next week.
Barcelona are keen to finish the job at home, especially with Donnarumma in this form.