BARCELONA — Barcelona completed one of the most extraordinary comebacks in European football history to knock Paris St Germain out of the Champions League Wednesday with a 6-1 victory that rewrote the record books.
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Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (R) celebrates after scoring his side’s third goal during the Champions League round of 16 match against Benfica in Dortmund Wednesday. — AP[/caption]
No team had ever overturned a four-goal deficit in a knockout tie, but Sergi Roberto’s stoppage-time goal completed a 6-5 aggregate win that sparked delirious scenes of celebration inside the Nou Camp and sent Barca through to the last eight.
Edinson Cavani looked to have wrecked Barcelona’s dreams by volleying in an away goal to make the score 3-1 but two late strikes from Neymar set up a thrilling finale before Roberto sealed the Spanish side’s unlikely triumph.
“This is a crazy, unique sport. Children and adults here tonight will never forget what happened,” Barca coach Luis Enrique told reporters.
“I dedicate this win to all Barca fans who kept faith in us. We were massively criticized after the first leg.”
Barcelona began to believe in the impossible dream of clawing back its shock 4-0 loss from the first leg when Luis Suarez headed over the line in the third minute and a Layvin Kurzawa own goal gave them further hope before the break.
Lionel Messi’s penalty five minutes into the second period had the Nou Camp on its feet but Cavani’s strike in the 62nd was a sucker punch to Barca’s ambitions from which Luis Enrique’s side took a while to recover.
A curled free kick from Neymar in the 88th minute gave them hope and the Brazilian converted a penalty before substitute Roberto slid in to knock the ball beyond Kevin Trapp from a chipped free kick and send Barca through.
PSG coach Unai Emery, who had been brought to the club in the close season with the express purpose of adding nous to the vast resources of the Qatari-owned outfit and propelling them to success in Europe, cut a dejected figure.
“Barcelona are capable of doing that. It was all or nothing for them in the final minutes,” he said.
“It’s a negative experience for me and for the club. We need to learn from it.”
In Dortmund, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang grabbed a hat trick as Borussia Dortmund crushed Benfica 4-0 to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals 4-1 on aggregate.
The Gabon international, who endured a dreadful evening in the 1-0 first leg loss in which he missed a hatful of chances and had a penalty saved, was back at his lethal best.
He struck either side of a Christian Pulisic goal and added another late in the game as the German side, European champions in 1997, made the last eight of the competition for the third time in 10 years.
It was the third straight match in which Aubameyang scored at least twice as Benfica, aiming to reach the last eight for third time in six seasons, conceded its first goals from open play in more than 700 minutes.
The result also ended the Portuguese side’s seven-game winning run.
Xabi Alonso to retire
Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso will retire at the end of the season.
The 35-year-old Alonso, who won the World Cup with Spain in 2010 and the European Championship in 2008 and 2012, says, “I believe it’s the right time. I always thought it would be better to quit sooner rather than later. I still feel good, but I believe this is the right moment.”
Alonso joined Bayern from Real Madrid in 2014, claiming Bundesliga titles in both seasons and the German Cup last year.
Another league title looks certain this season. Alonso could sign off with a treble under Carlo Ancelotti, with whom he won the Champions League in 2014.
Alonso also won the Champions League in 2005 with Liverpool, which he joined from Real Sociedad a year earlier. — Agencies
