Barcelona Knocked Out of Champions League After Controversial 4-1 Defeat to PSG

Paris Saint-Germain secured a place in the Champions League semi-finals with a dramatic 4-1 victory over Barcelona at Camp Nou on Tuesday night. The French side overturned a 3-2 first-leg deficit, winning the tie 6-4 on aggregate after a chaotic match filled with controversial decisions and red cards.

Barcelona took an early lead through Raphinha in the 12th minute, but the turning point came when defender Ronald Araujo was sent off for a foul on Bradley Barcola in the 29th minute. Ousmane Dembele equalized for PSG just before halftime, and Vitinha put them ahead in the 54th minute.

Kylian Mbappe then scored a penalty in the 61st minute and added a late goal to seal the victory for PSG. The match descended into further chaos when Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez was also sent off for protesting the referee's decisions.

Why this matters: The result marks a painful exit from the Champions League for Barcelona, who have now been eliminated in the quarter-finals in three of the last four seasons. It also highlights the growing dominance of PSG in European football, with the French club now among the favorites to win the competition.

Despite Barcelona's best efforts to equalize in the second half, they were unable to overcome the numerical disadvantage caused by Araujo's red card. PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made several vital saves to deny Robert Lewandowski and keep his team in front.

After the match, Xavi was highly critical of the referee's performance, saying the red card was the decisive factor in the game. "The referee's display ruined our season's work," he told reporters. "We deserved to go through, but the red card changed everything."

However, former Barcelona player Thierry Henry said the team deserved to go down to 10 men and criticized their panicked response, which allowed PSG to take control of the match. PSG will now face Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals, while Barcelona must focus on their La Liga campaign and the upcoming El Clásico against Real Madrid.

Key Takeaways

• PSG defeated Barcelona 4-1 to reach the Champions League semi-finals.
• Barcelona took an early lead, but Araujo's red card proved decisive.
• Mbappe scored twice as PSG overcame a 3-2 first-leg deficit.
• Xavi criticized the referee, but Thierry Henry said Barcelona deserved to lose.
• PSG will face Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals, while Barcelona focus on La Liga.