Luis Enrique’s forecast from 2017 resurfaced as a reference point: after suffering a heavy defeat away, he insisted Barcelona could still engineer a dramatic comeback. That tie remains the only instance in which the club turned around a knockout tie after losing the first leg by four goals.
The last time Barca lost a first-leg knockout match by four goals was in the Champions League against Paris Saint‑Germain. In the return match, coached by Luis Enrique, the Blaugrana achieved a legendary reversal — a 6–1 victory at the Camp Nou, capped by Sergi Roberto’s stoppage‑time goal that sent the stadium into delirium.
The heroic performance against Unai Emery’s side was as epic as it gets. Before the return match Enrique had put the idea into circulation that if PSG had scored four away goals, Barcelona could respond with six, stressing that the tie was still open because only half of it had been played.
The first leg took place on March 8 — six years earlier relative to the article’s update — and ended with a heavy home defeat for Barca: 4–0 at the Parc des Princes, with a Di María double and goals from Verratti and Cavani. But in the second leg at the Camp Nou the Blaugrana treated the task with maximum seriousness.
That memorable Barcelona lineup featured Ter Stegen in goal; Mascherano, Piqué and Umtiti in defence; Busquets, Rakitic and Iniesta in midfield; with Messi operating as the playmaker, Rafinha on the right flank and the front pair Neymar and Suárez.
The match started perfectly for Barca: Luis Suárez opened the scoring in the third minute with a header after a PSG defensive error. The comeback path was set and the hosts reached 2–0 before half‑time thanks to a long Iniesta effort that led to a Kurzawa own goal while trying to clear.
After the break, Messi converted a penalty in the 50th minute and the turnaround seemed only a matter of time. PSG then pushed up the pitch and created danger: Cavani hit the post and later scored with a header that Ter Stegen could not stop, making it 3–1 and meaning Barca needed three more goals to advance.
About thirty minutes remained and Barca did not give up. Luis Enrique brought on Arda Turan, Sergi Roberto and André Gomes to chase the miracle. Neymar became decisive: he produced a spectacular free‑kick in the 88th minute that reignited the crowd and then took and scored the subsequent penalty to make it 5–1.
Barca threw everything forward, with Piqué even used as a centre‑forward, and after a move in the box Neymar beat Verratti and found Sergi Roberto’s late run to the far post — Roberto finished the move and the Camp Nou erupted as Barca completed one of the most incredible comebacks in the club’s history.
