On Wednesday, FC Barcelona will kick off their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal match against Paris Saint-Germain. Over the years, the Spanish club have had several memorable clashes with teams from Ligue 1. Here's a trip down memory lane to revisit five epic encounters Barcelona have had against French opponents in the Champions League.
PSG vs. Barcelona (5-2 on aggregate) - 2021
Barcelona and PSG last faced each other in the Champions League knockout stage three years ago, in the Round of 16. The Parisians won the matchup in the first leg after a hat-trick performance from Kylian Mbappé at Camp Nou for a 4-1 victory. In the second leg, the contest ended in a 1-1 draw, allowing PSG to advance to the quarterfinals.
🔴🔵 First game against Barcelona for Kylian Mbappé = ⚽️⚽️⚽️
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 22, 2021
😮 Second visiting player in Champions League history to score a hat-trick in the Camp Nou... @KMbappe | @PSG_English | #UCL pic.twitter.com/LAILPnVoAC
Barcelona vs. Olympique Lyonnais (5-1 on aggregate) - 2019
Outside of PSG, the other French team Barcelona have faced in the Champions League is Lyon. The last time these two clubs collided was in 2019 during the Round of 16 with the Spanish side advancing. After a 0-0 first leg at Groupama Stadium, Barcelona's attack exploded in the second leg for a 5-1 victory, allowing them to advance to the quarterfinals.
PSG 3-2 Barcelona (Group Stage) - 2014
The capital club and Barcelona were in the same Champions League group in 2014 with the first match being at the Parc des Princes. PSG would secure a 3-2 home win thanks to goals from David Luiz, Marco Verratti, and Blaise Matuidi.
Barcelona vs. Lyon (6-3 on aggregate) - 2009
Lyon's Juninho got the French side off on the right foot in the Round of 16 tie, scoring an iconic free-kick goal. Despite the early lead, Barcelona leveled the scoring to leave Stade de Gerland with a 1-1 draw. The Spanish team would take care of business at home with a 5-2 win to advance past OL and head to the semifinals.
THREAD: Juninho Pernambucano free-kicks 🔝
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 30, 2021
🇧🇷 Incredible @Juninhope08 effort for Lyon against Barcelona in 2009 🎯#UCL | @OL pic.twitter.com/aDYN5NCR4T
Lyon 2-2 Barcelona (Group Stage) - 2007
OL and Barcelona were in the same group in 2007 and the second match between the two sides was at the Stade de Gerland in a hard-fought 2-2 draw. Juninho provided the scoring for Lyon as the Brazilian recorded a brace, but the La Liga team counted with a goal from Andrés Iniesta and Lionel Messi.