There is need for more dynamism

The former Fifa technical committee member has tasked the Madagascan to be firm if he hopes to be successful as head of African football

Chief Adegboye Onigbinde has thrown his weight behind the change in leadership of the Confederation of African Football.
Ahmad Ahmad defeated incumbent Issa Hayatou 34 votes to 20 at the 39th Caf Ordinary General Assembly held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
And the former Fifa technical member who feels the change was long overdue has tasked Ahmad not to repeat the mistakes of Hayatou if he hopes to succeed.
"I congratulate him. I believe he will come in with new ideas. The only thing that is constant in this life is change and the situation of African football has been expecting some changes," Onigbinde told Sportmasta.
"There should be more emphasis on development because in Fifa regulations under objectives, the opening sentence reads - to improve the game of football constantly. Competition is supposed to be a by-product, it should be used to assess the level of development so if you’re concentrating on competition without development, you are wasting your time.
"Well, Mr. Hayatou is a gentle man and he is a man who was flexible with everybody but maybe there was a need for a little bit of more dynamism for him.
"He was easily buttoned, not dynamic enough, probably that is his own nature. Inspite of that, I think he did a lot of good work for African football, but football just like other sports needs dynamism and when you are in leadership especially in Africa, you need to be a man of yourself but if you are one that they can push around, of course you will be like a leaf on top of a flowing river. I think the new man should improve from that because there is need for more dynamism and self-confidence.''
Onigbinde who guided the Super Eagles to the 2002 Fifa World Cup also expressed his delight with the victory Amaju Pinnick - challenging him to put the nation's interest first at all times.
"Pinnick’s victory is a good one for Nigeria, once again we have another person there after Amos Adamu and we hope he can do some good works for Nigeria,'' he continued.
''I was in Caf technical committee for about 25 years and I know a few areas where I had to push things through for Nigeria, so I think if he takes more of Nigeria than of self, he should be able to do more for the country."

Paul Onuachu's strike rescues Midtjylland

The Nigerian forward weighed in with a last-gasp winner to ensure the Wolves share the spoils at the Nordjyske Arena

Paul Onuachu scored as Midtjylland battled to grab a 1-1 draw at AaB in a Danish Superliga encounter on Monday evening. Morten Wieghorst's men took the lead in the 54th minute through Frederik Børsting but the Wolves had to count on the 22-year-old's strike on the stroke of regulation time to get a share of the points.
His compatriot, Rilwan Hassan played for 75 minutes before being substituted for Jonas Borring.
The goal was Onuachu’s eighth in 24 league appearances for Jess Thorup’s side. And they are placed fourth on the log with 38 points garnered from 25 games.
In their next Danish topflight encounter, they welcome eight placed Nordsjælland to the MCH Arena on March 19.

I never expected Moses to have a future at Chelsea

The Liverpool legend continues to be impressed by the puzzling Nigerian claiming he never gave him a chance to excel at the Stamford Bridge

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has praised the rise of Chelsea right wing-back Victor Moses in the Premier League this season.
Moses stepped up and sealed a place in Conte's first team this season after enduring three loan spells with Liverpool, Stoke City and West Ham since he signed for the Stamford Bridge outfit from Wigan in 2012.
As a result of his impressive record this season, the Nigeria international was rewarded with a two-year contract extension earlier this month, and was on parade for 70 minutes in the Blues' 2-1 defeat of Stoke City.
The former Reds skipper was not only amazed by his development this season but by his quick adaptation in the new defensive role he finds himself this season.
"Another thing you want a manager to do is improve players — and look at Victor Moses. I never expected him to have a future at Chelsea," Carragher wrote on Daily Mail.
"Given he had been out on loan so much, and the levels he has shown have taken me by complete surprise. He has been excellent in his new role of right wing back."

Twitter explodes as Africa votes Issa Hayatou out, Ahmad Ahmad in

The long-serving Caf President was voted out of power on Thursday as African football's leaders voted for his Madagascan adversary

Issa Hayatou's 29-year grip in African football ended on Thursday when Caf voted for Madagascan football administrator Ahmad Ahmad as the confederation's new president.
Ahmad defeated Hayatou by 34 votes to 20, thus bringing to an end Hayatou's reign, which began when he replaced Abdel Halim Mohammad in 1988.
The surprise result, which was announced Caf’s 39th General Assembly in Addis Ababa, prompted shock and celebration across social media, with many fans, pundits and observers celebrating the departure of the 70-year-old, who has been accused of various controversies during his long stint at the helm.
However, the Cameroonian has overseen significant improvement in Caf’s standing within the global football community and considerable.growth within the continental game.

Issa Hayatou Out, Ahmad Ahmad In: African football speaks

After a vote at the governing body's Congress in Addis Ababa, the Madagascan was named as the new leader, replacing Issa Hayatou

Madagascan football administrator Ahmad Ahmad has been named the new Caf President after defeating incumbent Issa Hayatou in Thursday’s vote.
In the election, which was held at Caf’s 39th General Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ahmad defeated Hayatou in a shock result after picking up 34 votes to the 70-year-old’s 20.
Hayatou had been in power since 1988 when he replaced Abdel Halim Mohammad, and has overseen significant growth in the continental game and in Caf’s standing within the global football community.

Breaking: CAF presidency: Ahmad floors Hayatou

The incumbent President of the Confederation of African Football, Isa Hayatou, has been defeated.
Hayatou was floored by the man who has simply requested to be called Ahmad.
Ahmad defeated Hayatou by 34 votes to 20.
Nigeria before the election had declared support for Hayatou.
Nigeria’s position was made know by the Minister of Youth and Sport, Solomon Dalung.

He's not N'Golo Kante, but Wilfred Ndidi can be star man for Leicester

As the Nigeria international continues to shine, the Foxes could be forgiven for thinking their midfield crown jewel never left

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The immediacy of N’Golo Kante ’s success at Chelsea , allowing for a initial brief toe-dipping period, has given ammunition to the notion Leicester City were wrong to let him leave following last season’s title win. Arguably the Foxes’ most impressive performer in all phases, Kante was the hound in their midst, not just hunting down opponents but also injecting urgency into his own ranks. His skill set is so unique as to be bespoke.
And yet, on Monday night against Liverpool, and in victory over Hull City on Saturday, there was the Leicester of old: Darth Vader, wheezing and improbably reanimated, but undoubtedly alive. As they hammered Liverpool, transferring the ball quickly into the channel to savage makeshift centre-back Lucas Leiva, it looked for all the world like Kante had never left.
It was a similar story on Saturday, as Leicester moved five points clear of the relegation zone with their second win in a week.

Enter Wilfred Ndidi .
The Nigeria international has started impressively at the King Power, getting off the mark with a rasping effort in the FA Cup against Derby County, but amidst the general entropy within the ranks, he has been unable to truly shine. Against Liverpool, he delivered his most complete performance to date, before following that up with a commanding showing against Hull.
The role of the Leicester rank and file in the latter-day vicissitudes of Claudio Ranieri will forever be the subject of debate and speculation.
There was something rather soul-destroying in watching the group, previously hapless and supine, leap into battle against their Scouse visitors. Whether that was to do with the nature of the challenge Jurgen Klopp put forward, or with the fact the Premier League’s reigning champions were stirred to battle by the cry of Craig Shakespeare, we may never know for certain.

What we do know is that the entire team put in a performance worthy of last season, finding in Ndidi a willing and able replacement for their departed French enforcer. In place of Kante’s Energizer bunny scurrying came Ndidi’s long-limbed contortionism; concerned, as was his predecessor, simply with winning the ball and laying it off to the more expansive ball players.
His passes were not simply square though. Against Liverpool, the 20-year-old completed only 20 of them in total – demonstrating the immediacy of the home side’s approach - but 10 of those were to Matthew Albrighton and Riyad Mahrez in the wide positions. To reach the latter especially, from his left-of-centre positioning, saw Ndidi play some impressive diagonals to pick out the Algerian.
Against Hull, he completed 49 passes, the third highest in the Foxes team.

He stacks up excellently in the combative stakes too; eleven tackles won, six clearances, and seven aerial duels, just the one foul committed on Monday. The numbers are scarily Kante-esque, and indeed, no player had managed more tackles in a Premier League match since the France international against the Reds in January.
However, the biggest pointer to the player’s value and ability came before the game even began.

Amid concerns over the club’s purchases under Claudio Ranieri this season, as well as a certain perceived loyalty to underperformers, it is no surprise that caretaker boss Shakespeare reverted to the line-up that contested the majority of games last season, even reinstating alienated Japan international Shinji Okazaki, with Islam Slimani available for selection.
This in spite of the fact that, of the lot, the club record signing from Sporting could most be considered useful.

However, it was Ndidi, not Daniel Amartey, who was called upon to fill the Kante-hole. Considering Shakespeare’s public avowal of a consensual management style, with all its suggestions of undue player influence and cliquism, this is remarkable for a player just out of his teens, and who only joined in January.
More than anything else, it was a loud, ringing endorsement by the squad of his immediate impact and ability, and the esteem in which he is held. He is not Kante, might or might not be as good in the long run, and he most definitely will win no league titles with Leicester City. However, Ndidi is something special in his own right.

Ighalo, Aluko & footballers celebrate International Women's Day

The country's senior national team stars have paid tribute to the amazing work of the women in their lives

Odion Ighalo , Moses Simon , Sone Aluko , Anthony Ujah and the Nigerian Football Federation are celebrating women that have influenced them as the world commemorates women for their outstanding role in global development.
International Women's Day is day set aside to globally celebrate women on every March 8 of every year and pay tribute for the movement for women's rights in the world.
The Super Eagles players joined the world to salute the women who have supported their struggles and their rise to stardom while the Nigeria Football Federation appreciated eight-time African Champions, the Super falcons as their pride.

Sane misses sitters as hosts remain third

Pep Guardiola will rue his men missing the opportunity to overtake Tottenham in second place after his side failed to break down their stubborn guests

Leroy Sane missed a great chance to score the winner as Manchester City were held to a 0-0 draw against Stoke City on Wednesday.
The Germany international, who came into the match at the Etihad Stadium having netted in three consecutive appearances, was once again a livewire down the wing.
However, he was left holding his head when he skied his shot after Kevin De Bruyne's cross escaped Joe Allen's reach and found him on the hour mark.
Sane's chance proved to be one of City's best chances of the night, with the youngster unable to make contact with a great delivery for what would have been a guilt-edge chance in stoppage time.
David Silva – introduced for the ineffective Jesus Navas – had already spurned a glorious chance 18 minutes from the end, though he did make a big difference to City's attacking play.



But ultimately Guardiola introduced Silva too late and Stoke held on for a draw despite City's desperate late onslaught.
Stoke were much quicker out of the blocks than their hosts and should have taken an early lead through Mame Biram Diouf when the Senegal forward scuffed a first-time effort straight at Willy Caballero from Erik Pieters' cross.
The visitors continued to look bright in attack and caused problems again in the 15th minute.
Ramadan Sobhi cleverly turned Nicolas Otamendi on the left side of the area and darted towards the danger zone, but Bacary Sagna made a vital intervention before Diouf could pounce.
Diouf was then involved at the other end shortly after, tracking the run of Leroy Sane and producing a marvellous last-ditch tackle to deny him a clear run at Lee Grant and the Stoke goal.
Otherwise, Stoke did a fine job of keeping City at bay, with only an Aleksandar Kolarov free-kick – which Grant saved comfortably – troubling them.
City attacked with more intent after the break and crafted a good opening early on, but Sergio Aguero – captain on the night – saw his 20-yard effort deflected just over after being picked out by Sane.
The in-form German winger then went close with a chance of his own in the 60th minute, receiving De Bruyne's cutback and blazing over from 12 yards as Silva's entrance injected a little more urgency to City's attack.
Silva went close twice in quick succession as the match approached its final 15 minutes – first agonisingly missing the bottom-right corner from just inside the box, before drilling wide of the opposite post from distance.
Aguero almost stunned Stoke at the death when slipped into the left side of the box, but the Argentinian could only find the side-netting as Stoke secured a solid point.

Marcos Alonso: I could have joined Barcelona

The wing-back has been impressive at Chelsea so far this season but has now claimed that there was also interest in him from the Catalan giants

Marcos Alonso has revealed that he could have joined Barcelona prior to his move to Chelsea.
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The wing-back moved to Stamford Bridge from Fiorentina for a fee of around £24 million in the summer and has since impressed with a series of dynamic performances for Antonio Conte’s side.
However, the 26-year-old could have moved to Barcelona instead, revealing that the Catalan club were also interested in securing his services prior to completing the signing of Lucas Digne from Paris Saint-Germain.
"Well, I think there was some conversations [with Barcelona] but the truth is that at that point it was not in my plans to leave Fiorentina," he told IbTimes. "It was only when the interest from Chelsea arrived in the summer when I started to consider to make a change."
Alonso has previously played for Bolton and Sunderland in England, hence surprise at the deal among a swathe of Blues supporters.
Alonso, though, is confident that he can continue his form as Conte’s side maintain their title push, with Chelsea currently 10 points clear of second-placed Tottenham following Monday’s 2-1 win over West Ham.
"There were some great teams interested in me in the summer but I decided to join Chelsea because they are a team that I had always liked,” he added.
Ibra should have received 12-match ban
"I saw a possibility of succeeding here. I had some other offers from other teams from Italy and Spain but when Chelsea came to get me, I did not think twice. Chelsea are a club that had always attracted me.
“From my early years at Bolton I knew that Chelsea were a great club and the truth is that I was right to come here. Things are going well but I have to continue this way because I think I still can give much more. Now with the tranquility of not having to prove anything I have to keep improving.”

Man Utd's £90m Pogba problem? Lampard wishes he was that valuable at 23

The former England midfielder summarily failed to draw on his similar experience when analysing Paul Pogba's unconvincing start at Manchester United

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When Paul Pogba’s worth to Manchester United was brought into question by two former England players on national television this week, it was hard not to think that one of them at least should have known better. Frank Lampard said the Frenchman could become a “£90 million problem” for United, pairing clips of Pogba finding it hard to put his stamp on proceedings with grand statements about the club’s world-record outlay last summer.
Zlatan deserved a 12-match ban
But it felt like a missed opportunity on Lampard’s part to actually speak from first-hand experience of the difficulties involved when being signed for a big fee, with a huge reputation, and with a label he hadn’t asked for coming as part of the bargain.
After all, Lampard himself had been in a very similar situation to Pogba back in 2001. Chelsea splashed out £11 million to sign him one week before his 23rd birthday in a move which attracted plenty of attention. His time at West Ham had been dogged by claims that he got a helping hand into the first team from his uncle, Harry Redknapp, who was the club’s manager at the time.
It was criticism which stung him, especially as he also looked to follow in the footsteps of his very successful father, Frank Sr, by making his name with the Hammers. To identify between the two, some supporters would call him ‘Fat Frank’. Like Pogba’s £90m transfer fee, it was a label Lampard had not invited, and a video from 1996 of a West Ham fan challenging Redknapp on his nephew’s worth is now YouTube gold.
“Some people forget that it was tough or they try to change history and say it wasn’t like that. It was,” he told The Independent some years later.
“I had the nepotism one thrown at me regularly there and as a kid I found it quite hard to deal with. Certainly that day I did. I watched it back and not only my embarrassing curtains hairstyle and my chubby face, but the whole moment was brought back.”

Like Pogba, Lampard had his own cross to bear and hardly hit the ground running at Chelsea. When fellow analyst Jamie Carragher slammed Pogba’s return of four Premier League goals and three assists so far for United, comparing it to the volume of goals delivered by Lampard and Steven Gerrard over the course of their careers, Lampard chose not to defend Pogba despite the fact that he himself had struggled to find the net regularly after a big move at the same age.
Lampard scored just five goals and laid on three more in the 37 games he played in his first Stamford Bridge season at the age of 23, and would follow up one year on with a paltry six goals and three assists. It was in his third campaign with the Blues at the age of 25 that he would really begin to take flight as a blockbusting midfielder.
Future bleak for abject Arsenal
But rather than provide this context, Lampard claimed Pogba was both too attacking and too defensive before again turning the conversation back to his price tag. “The problem he has is that when we think of £90m we think of Gareth Bale,” he said. “Who would you pay £90m or £100m for? Suarez, Ronaldo, Messi… They bring 40 to 50 goals a season and win games on their own week-in, week-out.”
The £90m problem here is Lampard’s, not Pogba’s, and it is certainly not United’s. The Red Devils clearly believe their £89.5m outlay, which could rise to £93.8m in time, was worth every penny. They wouldn’t have paid it otherwise.
It is not up to Lampard or any other pundit to decide whether United will get their money’s worth. He has no idea how much Pogba brings into the club every time he steps on the field, or greets a disabled youngster through the Manchester United Foundation, or simply posts on social media. It is the job of Ed Woodward and the United board to decide whether Pogba is worth the money or not.

And the tendency to keep judging Pogba in the context of his transfer fee is nothing but divisive. Only a couple of weeks ago people were lauding the 23-year-old for having completed over 1,000 passes in the final third this season, more than any other Premier League player. So why is he a “£90m problem” this week just because Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed a penalty against Bournemouth?
“He’s not giving the numbers, Zlatan is giving the numbers,” was Lampard’s rather course analysis of the difference between the two, but why would he make such a link? Nobody in 2001-02 was comparing his five goals to Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink’s return of 23 and claiming Frank ‘isn’t giving the numbers’ at Chelsea.
Mourinho fumes at Rostov pitch
It is right that former players should have their right to criticise without their own record being held up in mitigation against them. Gary Neville must not be judged by his spell as Valencia coach every time he questions a manager’s tactics, and Carragher shouldn’t have to defend his abilities as a defender for Liverpool every time he analyses Jurgen Klopp’s back line. Similarly, Lampard has every right to say Pogba isn’t yet the midfielder he could become and many expect him to be.
But Lampard, Carragher and presenter David Jones returned to the subject of Pogba’s transfer fee 12 times in a feature lasting less than 10 minutes, and the over-riding theme was that the Frenchman’s first job is to justify United’s outlay. It is a capitalist fetishist who spends his time constantly worrying about what other people are spending, and the world and his wife seem to have had a go at explaining why Pogba isn’t worth the money. To argue the point over and over again is lazy.
So why couldn’t Lampard have used his unique insight to highlight the realities of Pogba’s situation by drawing on his own personal experience? That would surely have given the viewers a far greater insight and added something new to the discussion. After all, Lampard wasn’t ‘giving the numbers’ either at 23, but he was only an £11m problem, not a £90m one.

Turkish Europa League clash shows

The champions of Greece and Turkey - historic foes - face off in the Europa League and times have changed since they were last drawn together

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The beauty of the open draw in tournament football is that you never know what you’re going to get. Yet sometimes it can feel like the hand of history is at work, intricately weaving an intriguing new narrative.
Move over Messi - This is Neymar's night
That’s how fans of Olympiakos and Besiktas would have felt when Patrik Andersson paired the Greek champions with the Turkish giants in the last 16 of the Europa League.
The presence of Premier League behemoths Manchester United in the competition is sure to capture the imagination of those who are paying attention, while clashes between powerhouses such as Lyon and Roma, or the all-German stand-off awaiting Borussia Monchengladbach and Schalke are equally exciting prospects.
But the Greco-Turkish encounter is arguably the most interesting tie as the various teams battle to whittle 16 down to eight.
Both sides come into the game at the top of their national leagues but, while Besiktas enjoy the comfort of consistency with five straight wins under their belt, Olympiakos are without a manager, having inexplicably dispensed with former Portugal boss Paulo Bento earlier this week.
However, the intrigue of this clash does not really arise out of the sort of prosaic themes that too frequently accompany many aspects of modern football.

Historically, relations between Greece and Turkey have been fraught, with social, political and religious divisions, which have their roots in ancient times, stretching right through to the 21st Century; an age-old problem, so to speak.
So, when Andersson selected Olympiakos and Besiktas as foes in Nyon back in February, there were echoes of this particular historical conflict, which actually prevented the two teams from playing against each other in the European Cup back in 1958.
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With political tensions heightening in the Aegean theatre, the Greek side emphatically refused to play in Istanbul, subsequently allowing their Turkish counterparts a bye into the next round, where they lost to eventual victors Real Madrid.
Times have changed though, and, as it happens, the March 9 game in Piraeus will be the first ever competitive meeting between the clubs. It is not by any means the first time Olympiakos have been paired with Turkish opposition. Remarkably, however, it is the second time this season alone, after drawing and eventually overcoming Osmanlispor – affectionately known as The Ottomans - in the last round.

George Orwell once disparagingly referred to international sporting contests as "mimic warfare" suggesting that they inevitably lead to "orgies of hatred" but the feeling from Olympiakos and Besiktas could not be further from this notion.
After learning the identity of their last-16 opponents, Olympiakos’ Director of International Relations Konstantinos Vernikos was mindful of history when he suggested that the game can show the capacity of football to bring people together. “It is not very common to draw an opponent from the same country in two consecutive draws,” said Vernikos. “I think that, as against Osmanlispor, hospitality in Athens and Ankara were impeccable, the same will happen now in Istanbul. It will prove that sport unites.”
Indeed, Besiktas and Olympiakos have been to the fore in terms of fostering good relations in recent years, playing friendly games against each other in 2015 and 2016, and, at the Europa League draw Besiktas board member Erdal Torunogullari was keen to emphasise the connection that had been established between the two teams, joking that he would have preferred to meet later in the competition.

Nevertheless, even after all the positive rhetoric from club officials, some concerns clearly remain ahead of the tie, with both clubs agreeing, with the backing of UEFA, not to permit any away fans at either of their home games. Such a decision betrays a sense of unease regarding the potential for a flare up of supporter violence, which could land both clubs hefty financial penalties, but it also encapsulates the oft-fragile nature of international diplomacy.
Despite the unique backdrop of the match, historical considerations are a million miles away from the minds of the players, who remain focused on the game itself. “The Olympiakos matches will be very difficult,” said former Chelsea striker Demba Ba, who will be among those attempting to assert Besiktas’ claim for a place in the next round. “But we have a very good advantage: we have developed a habit of winning. We need to continue this habit.”
Every now and then these games come along, bringing with them the opportunity for football to play its part in the development of a particular strand of the world’s social fabric. And, with luck, new narratives will eventually unfold.

The Champions League's greatest escape

Opta provide the stats as the French champions find themselves on the wrong side of history after the Catalans' remarkable turnaround

Barcelona defied the odds to pull off the greatest escape in Champions League history as they beat Paris Saint-Germain 6-1 at Camp Nou to become the first side to overturn a 4-0 first-leg deficit in Europe's top-tier competition.
Move over Messi - This is Neymar's night
Barca's hopes appeared to be dashed when Edinson Cavani scored for PSG in the 62nd minute to make it 3-1 on the night and ensure the hosts needed to score another three to progress.
But, as Luis Enrique suggested was possible on Tuesday, Barca incredibly hit that target and they did so in the most dramatic of circumstances, scoring three times after the 88th minute – Neymar getting two before Sergi Roberto sealed progression five minutes into stoppage time.
Highlighting the sheer significance of the match are Opta's key stats.
KEY OPTA STATS
- Barcelona are the first side in Champions League and European Cup history to overturn a four-goal first-leg deficit.
- Barcelona have progressed past the round of 16 in each of the last 10 seasons, the longest run in the competition's history.
- Edinson Cavani is now PSG's joint-highest scorer in the Champions League alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic (20).
- Only three players to have played 20-plus Champions League games have scored in 50 per cent or more of their appearances; Ruud van Nistelrooy (58), Lionel Messi (51) and Cavani (50).
- Cavani has now scored in 22 different Champions League matches – the only South Americans to score in more are Kaka (23) and Messi (58).
- Messi scored his 37th Champions League goal in the knockout stages; only Cristiano Ronaldo has more (44).
- Luis Suarez has scored 65 goals in 64 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona at Camp Nou.
- Neymar has scored in three consecutive home games for Barcelona for the first time since January 2016 (four in a row).
- Since his Champions League debut on September 18 2013, no player has provided more Champions League assists than Neymar (15 – level with Ronaldo).

The greatest comeback in history!

The Catalans secured an astonishing 6-1 win at Camp Nou to knock out Paris Saint-Germain and keep their Champions League hopes alive

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"If Paris Saint-Germain scored four, we can score six." That is what Luis Enrique said in the pre-match press conference ahead of this match and his team did exactly that to produce perhaps the greatest comeback in football history.
Barca make history with 6-1 win
The Barcelona boss was written off and called every name under the sun after the Catalans' capitulation in the first leg at the Parc des Princes. Since that 4-0 loss, he has announced that he will not continue in the summer and in many ways, the pressure was off.
Could Barca really do it? The Blaugrana beat Sporting Gijon 6-1 last Wednesday and then thrashed Celta Vigo 5-0 at the weekend. Paris Saint-Germain would be a different test, but belief was building. "Yes we can," the supporters sang on Saturday.
And yes they did. Luis Suarez scored inside three minutes to give Barca a dream start and an own goal from Layvin Kurzawa before half-time made it 2-0 at the break. The comeback was on. And when Lionel Messi added another from the penalty spot four minutes after the interval, it looked like Barca would go on to achieve a historic turnaround.

But then PSG scored. Edinson Cavani's fine finish meant it was now 5-3 on aggregate, but Barca needed three because of the away goal. The Uruguayan's strike knocked the stuffing out of the Catalans for a while - but they never stopped believing.
M essi equals Ronaldo's CL penalty record
Perhaps Luis Enrique's words were ringing in their ears. "If PSG scored four, we can score six." Now they needed to do just that, but time was running out and when Neymar hammered home a fantastic free-kick with two minutes left, Barca still had to convert twice more.
Suarez then earned a penalty in the final minute, which Neymar netted. PSG complained, but to no avail and Barca threw everything at the French champions through five minutes of added time as even Marc-Andre ter Stegen piled forward.


Again Neymar's contribution was vital as the Brazilian produced a perfect delivery into the box for Sergi Roberto (who had been exposed by PSG in the first leg) to apply the finish. Emery grimaced as the Camp Nou erupted. History had been made.
Asked about Barca's 4-0 loss in Paris, former coach Pep Guardiola said last month: "Be careful not to criticise Barca and Luis [Enrique] too much - because they may end up proving you wrong."
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And they did just that in incredible circumstances. This was wonderful, magical, unbelievable - the greatest comeback in the history of the Champions League and perhaps in the history of football itself.
What a game. What a night. What a turnaround. And as Alex Ferguson said after his Manchester United side turned it around at this same stadium with two late goals against Bayern Munich to win the 1999 Champions League final: "Football. Bloody hell!"