They’ve been here before.
Just seven months ago, the perennially stirring ensemble of Academy of St Martin in the Fields accompanied by London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra serenaded once again at the premier joust for European Glory, the UEFA Champions League finals. The anthem shimmered unchaperoned by the thunderous crowd at Estádio da Luz. The Parisiens were well-acquainted with the crescendo, perhaps not at this stage.
Bayern at the time was suffering with what one may call the ‘Fee-fi-fo-fum’ syndrome – a window of opportunity for teams to marshal an onslaught on a sleeping giant with the only downside being the giant inevitably wakes up. However, with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe charging forward at a high-pressing German side, fireworks were abound. A gumptious showing saw Bayern wield their artillery to constrict their opposition to the wings. PSG settled back in the second half and let the Bavarian side swell in confidence. The box was crowded with red shirts as a sumptuous ball from Joshua Kimmich left Thilo Kehrer overwhelmed. Cometh the hour, cometh the man as Kingsley Coman rose up to head the ball past Keylor Navas.
Any attempt to regain footing was thwarted. Neymar dropped between the lines and found a rapid Mbappe numerous times in vain. Feeble drives straight at the keeper summed up a rather ineffectual night for the duo. It was Bayern’s night. The whistle saw elation and heartbreak in poetic tandem. A sagacious performance from the treble-winning side with a strong undercurrent of regret, a ‘what if’ for Paris Saint Germain. The new ownership in 2011 came with a clear vision of a place on the European throne, each blockbuster move aiding to clear the hazy path, each putting the previous one to shame and changing the very complexion of the game forevermore, yet each rendition of the ‘solution’ tasted the abject pill of disappointment.
Prior to shattering record books and player valuations alike, the Brazilian sensation reigned with an iron fist, namely Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Barcelona. In 2017, the side made a forgetful trip to Paris as they found themselves on the harrowing end of 4-0 drubbing. What transpired in the second leg is etched in the annals of miracles – “La Remontada”.
A commanding strike from Edinson Cavani in the 62nd seemingly marred the efforts of a comeback. Probability was Barcelona’s enemy. The sequence that followed still elicits a head scratch, but the exigency for three goals in the 88th minute was fulfilled. A hopeful ball from Neymar was met by an angel’s wing in the form of Sergi Roberto’s foot. It was crushing, transcending the despondent looks on the player’s faces. It broke their spirits, understandably so.
It all led to that night in Lisbon; the potential realisation of a venture nine years in the making. The occasion is a plausible explanation, but so is the opponent – a team synonymous with success.
After an anomalous start to last season, Hansi Flick was appointed as head coach following a 5-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt. Perhaps a novel idea, yet all the side required was definition. Thomas Müller commandeered the offence as the first line of defence, evoking errors from the opposition. Kimmich and Goretzka engulfed the pitch as the double pivot. Alphonso Davies emerged as the revelation at full-back. Dynamism proved to be the underlying catalyst for success with each player delivering on both sides of the pitch. Silverware arrived in droves. Bayern was the best club in the world; and an inexperienced side like PSG was hardly going to pose a threat.
The game was pivotal – fruits of a mentality for one and perhaps the nurturing of one for another. The hiring of highly-courted Mauricio Pochettino lends into their arc. Being confronted with heartbreak a year prior with Tottenham Hotspur against Liverpool adds to the kindredness of the two parties. His story felt organic; almost an antithesis to his current side, both experiencing a familiar heartbreak Sharing elements of the philosophy of the newly departed manager in Thomas Tuchel, the Parisiens under Pochettino displayed an affinity for an unmediated style of play, countering stagnancy with a precarious offensive dynamic.
PSG cruised to the knockout stages. Their first opponents – Barcelona.
Whilst highlights of the fateful night in 2017 painted an evocative portrait, it wasn’t necessarily a relevant one.
What followed ‘La Remontada’ was a facile victory for Juventus. The year after, an unceremonious trouncing at the hands of Manolas for Roma. The year after, an implausible implosion at Anfield, witnessing a 3-0 advantage slip through their grasp. ‘Remontada’s struck back at the Catalan side, all while chipping away at the aura of a juggernaut. An apogee arrived in the form of a demolition – 8-2. The languishing side had no answer for the ascendant Bayern. The wafer-thin defence offered no resistance.
The image that surfaced of a devastated Messi, supposedly in shock, narrated the tale of turmoil dating back to the lofty days of MSN.
‘La Remontada’ had no relevance in their face-off this year, yet it clearly did. Only two of the three starters had witnessed the dismal night in 2017 first-hand, but the discerning sentiment of cold-blooded vengeance surged through the Parisiens.
Messi converting from the spot proved to be a mere hindrance to a wave. The 22-year-old Kylian Mbappe glided across the grass in the absence of his confrère. On the night, PSG were reptilian – each movement in stunning congruence, surgically breaking down their reeling foes who faced existential questions similar to the ones the side from Paris must have felt three years ago.
The job wasn’t finished, not yet. There was a matter of the second leg. Even the most unperturbed players in the PSG locker room would have breathed heavy to soothe the nerve. The ‘what if’ lingered over Parc Des Princes. There was fear – Barcelona swung for the fences. A thunderous strike from Messi must have turned heads. A conceded penalty just minutes later must have prompted shudders down the spine. Fortunately for PSG, the spot kick was not converted, the comeback wasn’t to be. Yet, shooting boots on the Barcelona frontline may have led to a different result. PSG were subdued, getting the job done in a rather unconvincing fashion.
For Bayern however, the syndrome took a more sinister turn. 35 goals conceded in 26 games in the Bundesliga has lumbered the offence with additional responsibilities, fortunately ones they can weather. But how sustainable is it? The tiring style of omnipresence has taken its toll.
And now, they face each other again – PSG will be out for revenge. Barcelona slain mercilessly. The question that remains, what will prevail – vengeance or the ‘what if’?
