I have not written anything
specific for past 6 years and I decided to break that when I saw the Champions
League Round of 16 match yesterday – that is right – MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!
This is the comeback to end all
comebacks!
It was a saddening February night
for Barcelona fans when their team succumbed to a 4-0 defeat in Paris. I do not
remember such a wretched Barcelona performance in my recent memory. After that
dull night in Paris, Barcelona unconvincingly beat Leganes in Camp Nou, and
struggled to go past Atletico Madrid in Vicente Calderon to regain some
confidence in La Liga. Then came March. 6 goals against Sporting Gijon and 5
goals against Celta Vigo in Camp Nou to rehearsal the act which might be needed
against the Parisian club to make a miracle, which has never happened in the
history of Champions League football – to turn around a 4-0 deficit from first
leg.
Luis Enrique, the outgoing
Barcelona boss claimed that, “If PSG can score four goals against us, we can
score six”, nobody believed. He also claimed, “In 95 minutes, an infinite
amount of things can happen. I am convinced that at some point we will be close
to qualifying. That is not to say we will do it, but that we will be close.
And, when you are close, our confidence will soar and theirs could start to
diminish.”
Another Luis from Barcelona, this
time the Uruguayan, Suarez claimed, “We are aware that it is a difficult
situation to turn the tie around, but in football nothing is impossible, we
have to be convinced that we can do it. If there is a team that can score four
goals, I think it is Barcelona but with our philosophy of how to play and
controlling the game”.
The stage was set. However, not
sure of Barcelona progressing knowing that an away goal by PSG can still knock
the complete confidence out of Barcelona.
Luis Suarez and Barcelona got off
a dream start with a goal in 3rd minute, Andres Iniesta’s class and
persistence made it 2-0 before the break, and a Lionel Messi penalty in 50th
minute made it 3-0. Then on the 62nd minute, nothing but all
Barcelona dreams were shattered by that brilliant Edinson Cavani goal. Now
Barcelona need 3 goals to make the miracle happen. Barcelona died in Paris,
revived in Barcelona until 62nd minute, and then died again! Neymar
Junior and Suraez went to referee’s book after losing the plot, and Barcelona
wilted facing the improbable task. Then came the miraculous act in 7 minutes
and 17 seconds – a sumptuous free kick by Neymar Junior in 88th
minute, a Neymar Junior penalty in 91st minute and a Sergi Roberto
goal in 95th minute. Barcelona revived again!
Barcelona died on a Valentine’s
Day night in Paris, revived on International Women’s day night in Camp Nou. YES,
MIRACLES DO HAPPEN.
I have seen brilliant comebacks
in football. Manchester United hit 2 stoppage time goals in Camp Nou to claim
Champions League against Bayern Munich, Liverpool trailing 3-0 at half time
went on to win Champions League against AC Milan in Ataturk Stadium, Istanbul. Nevertheless,
Barcelona’s victory against PSG is above all those comebacks for a simple
reason – at 3-1 up in the 88th minute, that Barcelona needed THREE goals and
they did it.
Go back and read Luis Enrique’s
words again; “If PSG can score four goals against us, we can score six. In 95 minutes, an infinite amount of things
can happen. I am convinced that at some point we will be close to qualifying.
That is not to say we will do it, but that we will be close. And, when you are
close, our confidence will soar and theirs could start to diminish.”
So true and now, everyone
believes.
This is the reason why I love
football; this is the reason why I love Barcelona!
As Sir Alex Ferguson rightly quoted,
“Football, bloody hell”!
It is to be noted that Neymar
Junior is slowly coming out of the shadows of Lionel Messi to become the heir
of Messi, and if Neymar can produce consistent performances like this, you
could soon hear the Camp Nou faithful roaring for their new Brazilian maestro.
Salutes to Barcelona, their team
spirit, Luis Enrique and MSN.
9th March, 2017
After watching Barcelona beat PSG in CL Round of 16
