The once-mighty Barcelona appears to be experiencing a European slump.
Photo via Barcacentre
They won the Champions League five times and were at one time nearly invincible in European competition, especially at the Nou Camp.
Now, however, they’re on one of their worst runs in the competition.
They lost 4-1 to PSG in the Champions League last-16 first leg on Wednesday, with Kylian Mbappe netting a hattrick.
Mbappe is now only the third player ever to score a CL hattrick against the Catalan side. The other two - Newcastle’s Faustino Asprilla and Chelsea’s Andriy Shevchenko – did so nearly a quarter of a century ago.
Coupled with their 3-0 defeat to Juventus in the group stage back in December, this is the first time Barca have conceded three or more goals in back-to-back CL matches.
Photo via Getty Images
To add insult to injury, that defeat to Juve was also at the Nou Camp.
And if you go even further back to the Catalan side’s 8-2 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich in last season’s quarterfinal…they’ve now conceded 12 goals in their last two Champions League knockout ties.
What’s more worrying for the Catalan side, is that PSG managed to score four goals without their injured star forward Neymar.
The Brazilian should be back in time for the second leg and will have a point to prove against his former club.
It remains to be seen if Barca can prevent another unenviable entry in the record books.
By: Nicholas Darren John
