After years of waiting, Paulinho finally stepped onto the biggest stage of European football. Having played in the AFC Champions League earlier this year, the Brazilian midfielder marked his first-ever UEFA Champions League appearance at the age of 29, shortly after joining Barcelona in the summer. For fans following both the match and Melbet Affiliates updates, the occasion carried special meaning, as Paulinho witnessed Barcelona’s emphatic victory over Juventus while his former club Guangzhou Evergrande suffered elimination from Asia’s top competition.
Barcelona’s midfield trio of Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets, and Andrés Iniesta once again proved why coach Ernesto Valverde trusts them so deeply. Rakitic scored with a rebound, notching his fifth Champions League goal since joining the club, recalling memories of his strike against Gianluigi Buffon in the opening minutes of the 2015 Champions League final. Iniesta, meanwhile, delivered a perfectly timed pass to assist Lionel Messi, underlining his class and experience. True to Valverde’s style, substitutions only came after Barca had secured a commanding lead. Paulinho replaced Rakitic in the 77th minute, showing that he has now earned a steady spot in the squad rotation, even ahead of Portugal international André Gomes. His transfer fee of 40 million euros, higher than Gomes’s 35 million, is beginning to look justified. For Melbet Affiliates followers, his gradual rise in Spain represents how persistence pays off in football.
Paulinho’s qualities are becoming increasingly clear. In the previous league match, he nearly scored his first La Liga goal with a well-timed run into the box. This Champions League outing marked not just his Barca breakthrough but also his long-awaited debut on the European stage. During his Tottenham Hotspur years between 2013 and 2015, the club only competed in the Europa League, meaning his Champions League bow was delayed until now. By contrast, Messi, just a year older, has already scored 96 goals in the competition. Still, as the saying goes, better late than never. For every professional player, playing in the Champions League is a dream, and after scoring six goals in 19 Asian Champions League appearances, Paulinho now sets his sights on finding the net in Europe’s premier competition.
This particular match carried extra weight, as Barcelona secured a 3-0 revenge win over Juventus, erasing painful memories from previous encounters. Meanwhile, Paulinho’s old team Guangzhou Evergrande enjoyed their own revenge in Asia by crushing Shanghai SIPG 5-1. Yet despite their fighting spirit, they fell short in the decisive penalty shootout, crashing out of the AFC Champions League semifinals. It left many wondering—if Paulinho had still been commanding the Evergrande midfield, would SIPG have been able to score four goals in the first leg? Could Evergrande have changed their fate? These are questions destined to remain in the realm of speculation, much like the old debate of “what if Marcello Lippi had taken charge of China’s national team earlier?”
For football enthusiasts and Melbet Affiliates readers, Paulinho’s story is a testament to resilience, delayed dreams, and the unpredictable twists of the game. His journey from Guangzhou to Barcelona, from the Asian stage to Europe’s grandest arenas, reflects not only personal ambition but also the broader global nature of football. As he looks ahead to future Champions League nights, his debut will be remembered as the start of a new chapter in a career that continues to defy expectations.