Barcelona had been in a great position to progress past Paris Saint-Germain and into the semi-finals of the Champions League, having gone 4-2 in front early on at the Estadi Olimpic in Montjuic. However, they have now been reduced to 10 men, which throws a massive spanner in the works.
Raphinha scored the opener to establish a two-goal advantage for Barcelona, but now, Ronald Araujo has been sent off for a last man challenge on Bradley Barcola. The Uruguayan got the wrong side, and opted to bring the PSG forward down, rather than let him go through on goal.
Ronald Araújo is shown a straight red for bundling over Bradley Barcola 🟥
A HUGE moment in the tie between Barcelona and PSG!#UCL
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/l1D8hODp0P
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 16, 2024
This is a clear red card I don’t know why Araujo stayed on the pitch for so long arguing pic.twitter.com/RbDBWoIYYo
— WolfRMFC (@WolfRMFC) April 16, 2024
STRAIGHT RED FOR RONALD ARAÚJO 🟥
Barca are down to 10 men after 30 minutes 👀 pic.twitter.com/WinfQmdz4i
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 16, 2024
Losing Araujo is a massive blow for Barcelona, not only for tonight, but also if they manage to reach the semi-finals as he will be suspended for the first leg. It has also meant that Lamine Yamal is withdrawn, with Inigo Martinez subbed on to play alongside Pau Cubarsi in the centre of defence.
This will be a true test for Barcelona, as they will play for at least an hour with a man disadvantage.
