Luis Enrique won the Champions League in 2015 in Barcelona with an unparalleled attacker triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar … or MSN as they were known.
The irony is that, a decade later, his decision to eliminate two of those giant in his next club could be the catalyst of Paris Saint-Germain finally hitting gold in the premium competition of the club's football.
Messi sailed to the sun with Inter Miami, Neymar saw the money and ran to Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe, the best French soccer player in his generation, was the best superstar in Real Madrid.
The egos were at the door. Gone was the era of galactic, now we have the era of the French Revolution.
This team showed in Anfield that they are the crop cream in Europe. The winners not tested such as Real Madrid, but an intrepid side that rocked at Anfield and played as if they belonged to the elite level.
Anfield's famous atmosphere is often an excessive cliché, but on Tuesday night this stadium was really a strident and little cozy atmosphere that created a noise that is divided into the ear.
PSG's decision to advance in the era of galactic can be the catalyst for success in Europe
Ousmane Dembele level his latest draw against Liverpool before winning penalties
The Portuguese duo Vitinha, in the photo, and Joao Neves dominated in the heart of the center of the field
During the first 10 minutes, when Liverpool accumulated Chance after Chance and the goal of Gianluigi Donnarumma lived an enchanted existence, one wondered if the French guests were about to crumble under the pressure of their intense environment.
Each Tackle made by the local team was received with a joy to the encouragement of breath as if they had scored a goal, each pass Wayward Paris Saint-Germain sent to Touch led the KOP to a roaring noise.
There were many of those moments from the beginning. The members of the inexperienced team of Enrique, one of the youngest of the competition, swelled their cheeks and felt like Liverpool's blood. Men against children. It seemed a matter of time, until Arne Slot's side scored.
But after nowhere, PSG settled. And how they settled. They took the lead against the game race to level the draw in 12 minutes, after a zapping counterattack. One assumes that L'Equipe will label that objective 'French robbery' after its owner around an English robbery in Paris last Wednesday.
That goal inclined the impulse and, although it was actually against the game race after an unstable start, nothing from that moment was a coincidence. Luis Enrique has gathered a team that is ready to win Europe. After years of trying, it now feels like a 'no' situation if 'for Parisans.
Last week, his attacking trio won all kinds of applause, and rightly so, but on Tuesday night he was more of the cast of support behind them. The back of the left Nuno Mendes gave Mohamed Salah a night as hard as he has witnessed the whole season. Willian Pacho was immense.
In the center, there was the little Portuguese duo of Joao Neves and Vitinha, and it is difficult to remember a couple of midfielders who have used the ball in these ways since Xavi and Andrés Iniesta for Barcelona in the past. Take the ball, pass the ball … flashes and it is gone. A joy of seeing.
Full time, while PSG players ran towards the penalty hero, Doue and his fans, Vitinha fell to the grass. He had given everything, and how appropriate he remained in the center of a launch he had dominated.
Nuno Mendes, on the left, gave Mohamed Salah a night as hard as he has witnessed the whole season
The penalty stops will reach the headlines, but Gianluigi Donnarumma had an imperative general exhibition
Luis Enrique seems to have gathered a PSG team that is ready to finally conquer Europe
Last week, Alisson was the hero with what he described as the best night of his life. On Tuesday night, it was Donnarumma's turn to challenge logic with acrobatic salvages, blank stops and a dominant nature that takes control of dangerous crosses. Two penalty stops will reach the headlines, but this was another imperative exhibition of imperative goalkeepers.
Around 30 minutes before the start, the Anfield DJ, George Sephton, played the Don't Stop Believin 'travel track and that felt suitable for both teams when the tie pendulum continued to balancing from one side to another.
In terms of the standard and the quality in the program, it is difficult to remember a better game this season. This was a game for a final and really felt like two heavyweights, punch after blow. But as both goalkeepers made great interventions, who would generate the knockout coup?
What we can say for sure is, regardless of the result, these are the cream of the European harvest. The best of France against the best of England. Two great coaches and two big teams. One of them was knocked out, but both will return this time next year.
The PSG used to be a team that laughed at stocks of Europe for its little convincing exits of this competition. The whole team, without idea. No matter how much money they spent, or how many galactic -shaped monsters they had at their disposal, I felt they were cursed at this stage.
Not anymore. Now, Enrique's men are the age of majority and they are the team to win.