The greatest comeback ever

Barca started the night four down and conceded an away goal, but scored three times after the 88th minute to seal astonishing Champions League victory

“Football, bloody hell,” as someone – who also enjoyed a very famous night in this evocative stadium – once said. This game never fails. Never fails to cut through the hype, the money, the cynicism, the commercialism to become a sport again. It is why we play it, watch it, talk about it, and why we write about it.

This was a game that will resonate; a match that goes down in history. It was the first time in the Champions League that a team overcome a four-goal deficit. But it was more than that. It was so, so much more than that as the disbelieving looks on the players, staff, coaches and fans of Barcelona showed. This club, these players, have done everything. But they have never done this before.

Even the stoniest of hearts will feel for Paris Saint-Germain, who were overwhelmed despite their formidable advantage coming into this second leg. They scored a precious away goal, which should have ended it, then missed two golden chances and somehow conceded three times in the final eight minutes, including five added minutes. This will hit them and their coach Unai Emery hard. Glory turned to dust.

But that explanation does not do justice to it all. But, then, what does? Barça had managed to get themselves three goals in front after 50 minutes and the impossible seemed possible, before they conceded. Then it emphatically appeared over and it was only on 88 minutes that Neymar scored the first of his goals before creating the winner which was effectively the last kick of the match and with goalkeeper MarcAndré ter Stegen having abandoned his role to play as a striker.

Neymar said he would score twice. No-one expected the Brazilian to leave it so late. The Barcelona coach, Luis Enrique – tired, on his way out at the end of the season and broken after the first leg of this last16 tie – claimed if his team could concede four goals in Paris then they could score six to reach the quarterfinals. And they did score six.

These are two of the wealthiest, biggest clubs in world football with huge financial backing. But it boiled down to a desperate football match – desperate because of the desire to win not because of the quality – and a flood of emotion as PSG became over-wrought and Barça were left with nothing but naked competitiveness and some remarkable skill to see them through.

Neymar, Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi all scored and it was a night when they had to reassert themselves; when Barça had to show defiantly that reports of their demise are premature. They are. Wildly premature on this evidence. The decisive goal was scored, by the way, by a local boy, substitute Sergi Roberto.

They needed luck – and PSG’s first-half implosion helped. But Barcelona also forced that. “Tots Amb L’Equip” read a huge banner unfurled on halfway. “Everyone with the team”. It was a plea for monumental effort, for giving everything and also for unity, after the fractures of this season – and they got that.

They also got an early goal that made the atmosphere even more feverish and frenzied. It was a chaotic goal, too, with PSG woefully failing to clear, a header up in the air by Marquinhos, goalkeeper Kevin Trapp flapping and there was Suárez to force it goalwards. His header was hooked away but had already crossed the line.

Even before that there had been a simmering sense that maybe, just maybe, something incredible could be achieved, although that was also tempered by the calibre of opponent they faced. That was evidenced when Julian Draxler broke and screamed for a penalty – not given– when his low cross struck Javier Mascherano’s arm as he slid to cut out a cross.

By then it was wave after wave of Barça attack and PSG desperately trying to reach the safe haven of half-time with no further damage done. But they could not. Again it was a chaotic goal, with Suárez and Andrés Iniesta combining down the left with the latter, after Marquinhos had inexplicably gifted possession back to him, back-heeling towards goal from a tight angle and Layvin Kurzawa panicking as he attempted to clear, the ball spinning up off his thigh and into the net.

The third goal arrived five minutes into the second-half and it came from Messi’s boot, a penalty driven powerfully to Trapp’s right, after Thomas Meunier had slipped and was deemed to have brought down Neymar as he cut into the area.

The decision was given not by the referee – the German official Deniz Aytekin, who will come in for criticism as he may have buckled to Barça pressure as the game unfolded – but his assistant behind the goal.

There were 40 minutes to go. PSG needed a lifeline and when Meunier crossed it was met by Edinson Cavani whose shot cannoned back off the outside of the post. Emery then brought on Angel Di Maria and the winger made a difference. A free-kick was lofted forward, with Kurzawa heading it back into the path of Cavani, who improvised to half-volley beyond Ter Stegen.

The air went out of Barça’s balloon – for a while. Now it was allout-attack for the home side and both Cavani and, more culpably, Di Maria failed to finish when through on goal but the clock was nevertheless running down.

It needed something miraculous and Neymar provided it as he picked himself up after being fouled and delivered a superb freekick that deceived Trapp and was whipped right-footed inside the keeper’s near post. Then Barcelona won another penalty – debatable – for a push on Suárez. Neymar took this one and beat Trapp and as he struck the board went up showing five minutes of added time. Five minutes.

It suddenly felt a long time but it was in the last seconds that Neymar flighted the ball and there was Roberto to reach it and volley into the net. They did it in Fergie time.

This club, these players, have done everything. But they have never done this before