On April 11, Barcelona bagged a 3-2 win against PSG in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash at the Parc des Princes.
The Blaugrana opened the scoring through Brazilian winger Raphinha in the 37th minute.
Three minutes into the second half, PSG winger Ousmane Dembele, who played for the La Liga side from 2017 to 2023, scored the equalizer and celebrated with enthusiasm. The actions of the Frenchman against his former club angered and disappointed many Barca fans.
The two teams will face each other in the second leg at the Catalans' home ground, Nou Camp. Xavi spoke about Ousmane Dembele's departure from Barca and said,
"I felt bad about Ousmane because he was in an extraordinary moment here. I hold no grudges, and tomorrow I’ll greet him with all respect. I have a lot of affection for him."
When asked about the Catalan fans' reaction to their former winger's performance in the last leg, the Barcelona boss replied,
"I don't hold a grudge against him. Tomorrow I'll greet him, as I did in Paris. With respect, I appreciate him. Let people show what they feel."
Following Dembele's equalizer, PSG claimed the lead through Vitinha in the 50th minute. Barcelona's Raphinha then netted his second goal of the match in the 62nd minute, with Andreas Christensen scoring the winner in the 77th minute.
Barcelona and PSG last met in 2020-21 in the UEFA Champions League
In the2020-21 season, Barcelona and PSG faced each other in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, a tie which ended in a 5-2 on aggregate win for the Ligue 1 club.
Prior to that, both teams met in the 2016-17 season in the round of 16 where the Blaugrana bagged a 6-5 aggregate win. They were also pitted against each other in the quarter-finals of the 2014-15 season, where the Catalans advanced to the semi-finals following a 5-1 on aggregate victory.
On April 22, the Parisians will face Lyon in Ligue 1, while Barca face arch-rivals Real Madrid in the La liga on the same day.
