Barcelona (AFP)

From the final of the Cup of Cups 1997 to the historic "remountada" of 2017, the rivalry between FC Barcelona and Paris SG has grown through memorable encounters, before their reunion on Tuesday, in the round of 16 of the Champions League.

- March 1, 1995: Paris resists Camp Nou -

PSG and FC Barcelona make the presentations on March 1, 1995, during the first quarter-final of the Champions League played by the young club from the capital, a David against the Catalan Goliath, titled in 1992 and finalist in the 1994 edition .

In front of 115,000 spectators, PSG holds firm on the field of the team coached by the legendary Johan Cruyff who aligns, in defense, Pep Guardiola and Ronald Koeman, the current technician of Barça.

A goal from George Weah (54th) responds to the opening of the score of Igor Korneev (48th), to allow the Parisians to snatch a 1-1 draw which maintains all their chances of qualifying in the return match.

Two weeks later, Paris achieved the feat (2-1), thanks to "Titi" Vincent Guérin, whose strike from 25 meters at the end of the game (83rd), entered the legend of the club.

- May 14, 1997: the Cup at Barça -

Parisians and Barcelona meet in Rotterdam for the final of the Coupe des Coupes (C2), an event that no longer exists.

Victorious of the 1996 edition, the only European trophy in its history, PSG once again succeeds in a consistent game.

But Barça has a phenomenon like Europe has rarely seen: Ronaldo.

The Brazilian striker, 20, transforms the penalty he himself caused (37th) to give the advantage to his people.

Paris pushes, but Leonardo, its current sporting director, misses the ball of the equalizer.

The capital club, beaten 1-0, will wait 23 years before replaying a European final, in the Champions League, lost to Bayern Munich (1-0).

- April 10, 2013: Pedro crucifies Paris -

PSG's new Qatari owner, who arrived in 2011, has put the Champions League at the top of his wishlist.

At the end of his second season, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva as leaders, his dream takes shape: PSG finds the quarterfinals ... against Barça.

Paris arrives at Camp Nou with the obligation to score, after the first leg draw (2-2), snatched at the last second thanks to Blaise Matuidi.

The goal of Javier Pastore (50th) is timely.

In the game, Carlo Ancelotti's men show their best face, while Lionel Messi, hit in a thigh, is a substitute at kick-off.

But the entry of the Argentinian changes everything.

A shift of the "Pulga" leads to the goal of equalizing Pedro (71st), synonymous with elimination of PSG under the rule of goals scored away.

Paris nevertheless wins the conviction of being able to compete with the biggest.

"When we arrived, many people did not believe in our project. From now on, we are respected. Our goal is to win this competition in the next five years," President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi said after the match.

- March 8, 2017: historical "remountada" -

Between 2013 and 2016, PSG fell four times at the quarter-final stage, including twice against Barça: in 2013 and then in 2015 (1-3, 0-2).

In the eighth, the men of Unai Emery find FC Barcelona in 2017 to an air of "this time, it's good".

Their demonstration in the first leg (4-0) marks the spirits: Paris has the means to go to the end.

The return to Camp Nou must be a formality.

But the unimaginable happens.

Carried by a double from Neymar, in a stadium in a trance, Luis Enrique's team eliminated PSG in added time, thanks to the goal of Sergi Roberto.

The feat resonates so much that it will remain a Spanish word that has become common in the French sports lexicon: the "remountada".

"It's a miracle, and sometimes miracles happen," said Barcelona defender Gerard Pique.

"Tell the hospitals to recruit nurses because people are going to have a lot of sex tonight."

This humiliation has long haunted PSG, which will take revenge the following summer by offering Neymar against the record sum of EUR 222 million, a new twist in a rivalry destined to last.

© 2021 AFP