Following the opening goal to take a 1-0 lead (4-2 on aggregate), FC Barcelona defender Ronald Araújo handed Paris Saint-Germain a lifeline by committing a foul that led to his direct red card. This left the Catalan side with ten men for the remaining hour of the match.
PSG took advantage of the situation, scoring four unanswered goals. The first goal came from Ousmane Dembélé, who again haunted his former club late in the first half.
Vitinha scored in the 54th minute to even the aggregate score at 4-4, putting the Ligue 1 side ahead 2-1 in the match. Kylian Mbappé followed up with a penalty kick goal in the 61st minute and sealed the deal with another goal in the 89th minute, securing a 6-4 aggregate victory.
Understanding that his mistake gave PSG the advantage to advance past Barcelona, Araújo went on Instagram to apologize to his teammates and supporters.
“The football that gave me so much joy now hits me hard,” Araújo wrote. “I thank all those who are unconditionally by my side, my teammates who left everything on the field, and the fans who believed in this team until the end. I am very sorry not to give you this joy… We will try again. Força Barça!”
PSG are now off to the Champions League semifinal, where they’ll face Borussia Dortmund, whom they’ve already encountered in the group stage this season.
