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Barcelona manager Xavi was shown a straight red card for kicking a camera stand, sponsored by the Champions League, during his side’s clash with Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.
The manager was left furious by a refereeing decision in the build-up to an attack and failed to keep a lid on his emotions on the touchline. Barca headed into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final leg with a 3-2 lead after an impressive win at the Parc des Princes, and Raphinha’s goal after 11 minutes looked like it may have put the game to bed.
However, the game was thrown wide open in the 29th minute when Ronald Araujo was shown a straight red card by referee Istvan Kovacs after dragging Bradley Barcola to the ground as he looked to break into the penalty area. An equaliser from Ousmane Dembele and fierce strike from Vitinha then levelled the tie, with Barca left with no choice but to tamely try and weather the storm.
The Spanish side were forced to be careful in possession with ten men, so when a challenge in midfield went unnoticed by the referee, Xavi was left incensed. Ronald Araujo was shown a straight red card in the first half.
The former midfielder burst into a fit of rage, aggressively pleading his case to the fourth official before kicking a camera stand. Kovacs was therefore left with no choice but to give Xavi his marching orders, and things went from bad to worse just five minutes later when Joao Cancelo clumsily brought down Dembele inside the penalty area.
However, their pleas fell on deaf ears when the PSG talisman showcased what he was capable of in the 89th minute to put the tie to bed after a catalogue of Barca errors in defence. Following a swift counter-attack led by Achraf Hakimi, goalkeeper Marc Andre-Ter Stegen kept out initial efforts from Marco Asensio and Mbappe before the ball deflected back to the feet of the latter from close range.
The No. 10 then slammed his strike into the bottom corner to send the travelling Parisiens into a frenzy, with Barca left crest-fallen after leading 4-2 on aggregate in the first half but ultimately bowing out of the competition.