Barça is history, Mbappé is future

Barça still does not reach him in the big events, from which he continues to get shorn. Again, Koeman's team crashed clamorously before a team of those that previously impressed and that now terrorize, subdue and destroy him by showing him a mirror that reflects a decrepit image that is not from now, comes from far away.

Barça faces the starting door of this edition of the Champions League without waiting for the return match. If Cristiano's Juventus already undressed the Blaugrana team on the last day of the group stage, Mbappé's Paris Saint-Germain was too high a wall to climb and won 1-4 in a game in which Koeman's men once again recognized their limitations when the hour of maximum demand arrives.

In circumstances like these, Barça confirms what was known about him. Koeman's team cannot be denied their efforts, but the reality is stubborn and cruel: the great Barça is history. Mbappé is future.

Piqué, as he had announced to his surroundings already in December, attended the Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain as a starter. And his presence in the axis of defense was added Dest as a right back. Two players in rehabilitation to face one of the most fearsome forwards in Europe despite the absence of Neymar.

Mbappé's debut in society was pyrotechnic from the first minute. His partnership with Verratti was clear from the start. The midfielder looked for him at the back of the Barcelona centrals as soon as the duel began and the departure of Ter Stegen, strangely on time this time, culminated with a blunder by the German goalkeeper with his feet that would be repeated throughout the game. Mbappé dominated the Camp Nou from top to bottom

On the way out, the game belonged to the French, who were better in positional play in the absence of Blaugrana pressure. The barcelonistas lived obsessed with Mbappé. For example, Dembélé's attitude, more concerned with helping Dest than breaking into attack. Pending this task, the French winger of Barça neglected Kurzawa's rises, which were definitive. In fact, the PSG side was decisive in both areas.

With the game heading for the visitors, Kurzawa made his first stellar appearance in the match in the 26th minute when he gifted an absurd penalty to Barcelona by chasing De Jong from behind on a ball the Dutchman had no chance of reaching. The gift that Barça usually gives the Blaugrana team to rivals this time came from the other side.

After a VAR review, the penalty was confirmed and Messi shot Keylor Navas, putting Barça ahead and dislodging a PSG that was on the edge of the abyss, But that was saved from burning because Dembélé's shot with everything in favor to score 2-0 a minute after Messi's goal was ridiculous. Cso a pass to Keylor. The play had its origin in a loss of Kurzawa, which was leading his team to ruin.

But the winger, capable of the best and the worst in a short space of time, retaliated for his disastrous performance so far with a rise by the band that Dembélé did not accompany to serve a ball to Verratti, who assisted Mbappé first, who portrayed Lenglet in the area before shooting Ter Stegen and tying the game.

True to its cyclothymia, Kurzawa took advantage of the favorable wind to put the Barça goalkeeper to the test again, who conjured the 1-2 with a saving hand.

The game, which had started in control mode, was unleashed in a bad way. PSG threatened in the corner kicks (up to six served in the first half) while Barça clung to the counterattacks, where Griezmann failed again by centimeters.

At the beginning of the second half, PSG had the match, and surely the tie rn his hand after introducing Ander Herrera on the field led by Gueye, how could it be otherwise by a Mbappé who felt more and more comfortable at the Camp Nou. Barça lost control of the game against the French team, who was rescued in the first instance from its worst moment by Ter Stegen against Kean, but who could no longer do anything before an incursion by Florenzi that Mbappé riveted, who was still unleashed.

With Barça on the canvas, Ter Stegen avoided Mbappé's third, but the Blaugrana team was already a wreck in the hands of a PSG who smelled blood and did not forgive. At the umpteenth lateral foul conceded by Barça, Kean headed the third with no one to cast the slightest shadow on him. The game was already a torture for a destroyed Barça and Mbappé took the opportunity to settle the start of his reign with a fourth goal that plunged the Blaugrana team into the well of impotence.

The story continues the same at Barça. It continues to be shipwrecked in the big dates and confirming what has been seen to come for a long time. This time, it was not necessary to wait for the second leg or the quarterfinals or the semifinals to leave Europe in a bad way. This time, it was at the Camp Nou in the first leg of the round of 16 against a PSG without Neymar, but with a Mbappé that undressed a Barcelona that continues to dig down.