The home bus was making its way to the stadium surrounded by smoke and flares, making it difficult to distinguish one coach from another. Journalist Sid Lowe criticized the chaotic scene, noting that the large club badge and “BARCA” written on the side should have been a clue that they missed. Fans took to social media to mock the mix-up, with one commenting about the confusion.
Despite the confusion, the evening began well for the hosts as Raphinha increased their aggregate lead to 4-2. However, Ronald Araujo’s first-half dismissal was followed by Ousmane Dembele’s equaliser against his old club. Vitinha and Kylian Mbappe then scored in the second half, resulting in a 4-1 victory for the night and a 6-4 lead on aggregate.
This marked a significant momentum shift from the previous week when Barcelona had left the Parc des Princes with confidence. The stadium welcome for Barcelona was sure to be memorable for all the wrong reasons.
