Barcelona defeats Paris and more
Paris exceeded the boundaries of the game and the reality of football, launching a preemptive war against their guest Barcelona, as it arrives (the capital of light) to play the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.
PSG wanted it to be a battle, not just a match in the championship, so the club's ultras heated up the atmosphere three days before the confrontation, issuing a statement filled with derogatory words towards their guest and the 5-time European champion, showering them with insults and threatening them with punishment at the Parc des Princes.
The matter did not stop at the statement; the fans went beyond by besieging Barcelona's delegation headquarters in Paris, launching fireworks and provocative chants, aiming to influence the morale of the players and tire them out by depriving them of sleep and adequate rest before the match.
The situation wasn't any better at the press conference where Barcelona coach Luis Enrique continued the threats with words that could only be interpreted as resentment towards the club he coached, which was the reason for his global fame and gave him the keys to the Spanish national team. When asked about a comparison between him and Xavi, the Barcelona coach, his quick response was that he is better than him, adding that he knows Xavi the player but doesn't know Xavi the coach, disregarding the journey of the Catalan coach where he won the Spanish League title last season along with the Super Cup amidst difficult circumstances due to the debts that burdened the club and led to the departure of its key stars.
The atmosphere of the match was like war, with Paris fans' chants never ceasing and their provocations towards the visiting players exceeding limits. On the field, Dembele surprised everyone with a wild celebration after scoring the first goal against his former team PSG. The match was marked by unparalleled excitement, referee objections, and crowd motivation, a state rarely seen by Barça fans during the six years Dembele spent mostly in Barcelona's hospital.
But in the end, the response was harsh on the field, as Xavi, unknown to Enrique, successfully neutralized PSG's star Mbappe, who disappeared completely, and formed a strong defensive wall, enduring much before two blunders caused a turnaround in the score within 5 minutes at the start of the second half. However, Barcelona's cohesion and steadfastness in its plan helped in regaining and snatching victory from Paris.
Barcelona won a new round, now eagerly anticipating the return leg on their home turf and amidst their fans, aiming to catch all birds with one stone by overcoming the obstacle of Paris, favored by many in the race for the coveted two-eared cup, and reaching the dream semi-finals, which would lift Barcelona from its difficult situation in the current season and bring it back to the Champions League ambiance after its absence from this stage in the last four seasons.
Though there is no written law anywhere that a player can't celebrate against his former employers, Dembele's celebration was embarrassing. Despite being crooked for most of his time at Barcelona, he was cherished.
Well, maybe he took his treatment in his last season with them too personally.
Honestly, I never saw that as a big deal. Celebrate or not, it's conceding a goal that is the issue.