from the first against Johan Cruyff to the comeback… The five duels that form the rivalry between PSG and FC Barcelona

For the sixth time in their history, Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona will face each other in the elimination phase of the Champions League, during the quarter-finals.

The word remontada is already on everyone’s lips. Paris Saint-Germain having inherited FC Barcelona as its opponent in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, following the draw on Friday March 15, this evening of March 8, 2017 returns to haunt all memories. However, the history of meetings between the two clubs is rich in many other notable clashes. In April, the two teams will face each other for the sixth time in their history in the C1 knockout phase. The opportunity to look back on these few meetings at the top, in the biggest European competition.

1995: a first against Cruyff (1-1, 2-1)

For their first clash, Paris Saint-Germain, guided by Luis Fernandez, challenges Johan Cruyff’s FC Barcelona, ​​European champion in 1992 and finalist in 1994, in the C1 quarter-finals. PSG first draws a good draw at Camp Nou (1-1). In the return match, the Parisians dominated but lacked success, hitting the uprights several times, and were even cooled by a goal from Catalan captain Bakero after returning from the locker room. On the verge of elimination, PSG was saved by an equalizing goal from its number 10, Rai, before Vincent Guérin offered victory and qualification to the Parisians ten minutes from the end of the match (2-1). The Blaugranas would take their revenge two years later (1-0), in the final of the Cup Winners’ Cup (C2).

2013: the baptism of PSG version QSI (2-2, 1-1)

Two years after the arrival of QSI, the club’s new owner, Paris Saint-Germain returns to the quarter-finals of the C1 and FC Barcelona for the occasion. The draw (2-2) snatched at the Parc des Princes kept the Parisians alive in the first leg, thanks to a goal from Blaise Matuidi in the last minute. At the Camp Nou, PSG opened the score and was already in the quarter-finals, before Pedro’s equalizer, who qualified the Blaugranas thanks to the away goals rule (1-1). Paris has competed with an elite European club, but still needs to take a step forward to dream bigger.

2015: the step was too high (1-3, 0-2)

Two decades after their first face-to-face, Parisians and Barcelonans find themselves at the same stage of the competition. Laurent Blanc and his men put their assumed ambition for the European title to the test against one of the favorites. Deprived of three managers in the first leg (Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marco Verratti and Thiago Motta), Paris Saint-Germain was beaten at home (1-3), and also failed to compete in the return match, losing 2-0 in the first leg. Camp Nou. Two defeats that are not dishonorable against the future winner of this 2015 edition, but which illustrate the road that remains to be covered.

2017: the trauma of the comeback (4-0, 1-6)

The meeting becomes regular. Blaugranas and Parisiens meet for the third time in five years in the knockout phase of the Champions League, this time in the round of 16. In the first leg, PSG had one of the best matches in its history, outclassing Barça of the MSN (Messi, Suarez, Neymar) at the Parc des Princes (4-0). To this point, no club has ever been eliminated after such a first leg victory. But at the Camp Nou, Paris Saint-Germain suffered the law of a Neymar at the top of his art, and took water until being led 3-0. Edinson Cavani thought to qualify the Parisians by scoring a goal which should have been saving, but PSG conceded three additional goals in the final minutes and were finally eliminated (6-1). Since the comeback, FC Barcelona is no longer an opponent like any other for the Parisians.

2021: to chase away demons (4-1, 1-1)

The Parisians found their tormentors four years later, again in the round of 16. This time, the first leg is played at Camp Nou, and Paris Saint-Germain put in a major performance, driven by a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappé (4-1). On the return, the Parisians manage to chase away their demons to maintain their advantage, thanks to a great Keylor Navas in the cages (1-1). PSG, finalist last year, eliminates the Blaugranas for the first time since their first confrontation in 1995, and wards off the fate of the comeback.