Barcelona on March 8, 2017 overturned their 4-1 first leg defeat to PSG with an amazing 6-1 second leg victory at Camp Nou. A result that helped the La liga giant registered their authority on the big stage.
Strangely, the above remarkable performance by the Catalan giants marked the end of their fascinating result on Champions League night as they would go ahead to embarrassingly lose 4-0 to Liverpool at Anfield, thereby throwing away their 3-0 advantage from Camp Nou at their first leg encounter the following year.
On August 14, 2020 Barcelona were eliminated in the UEFA Champions League quarter finals after they were stunned 8-2 by Bayern Munich. A defeat that could be seen as a replication of 2012 when Barca were also heavily thrashed 7-0 on aggregate by the same Bundesliga giant.
It therefore becomes save to say that shocking heavy defeats at UEFA Champions League games are not alien to Barcelona.
Meanwhile, in the midst of these series of emphatic defeats by the Blaugrana, one thing has remained central namely, Lionel Messi expression of dissatisfaction and call for urgent and necessary rebuilding of a once formidable Barcelona team.
Recall that when Liverpool stunned Barcelona back in 2019, Lionel Messi was quick to address their decline.
But almost two years down the line, their latest thrashing at the hands of PSG shows nothing has changed. And this is where Barcelona fans will remain grateful to Messi for his genuine concern for their club as they wish for the urgent return of their glory days despite some seemingly indifference from the club hierarchy.
“I think in the Champions League there are four matches where we could turn the whole season around if we get the right results.
“I think the people here at the club will feel angry about what’s been going on this season but that’s normal, the players feel like that too, it’s logical people will be critical.
“I think it’s like losing against Roma and Liverpool, when you don’t win anything no-one is happy”
The only significant difference at Camp Nou has worked against them namely, the departure of Luis Suarez who is presently firing at all cylinders and helping Athletico Madrid to run away with the La liga title.
They were thrashed 4-1 by Paris Saint-Germain at the Nou Camp on Tuesday night in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
Messi assertion in 2019 “when you don’t win anything no-one is happy” is an expression of the state of most Barcelona fans today.