PASSION!

GOOOOAL!

MVP!

The security deployment will be massive.

Those who sought to bring down the Republic will have to answer for it.

Tell you who would have loved this? Who would have been utterly engrossed scrolling the hashtag #Paris on Tuesday night as two things happened simultaneously, the harrowing of the Barcelona defence at the Parc des Princes, and the harrowing of Paris itself via tales of city-centre thuggery and end-of-days political doom‑mongering.

The big man, Guy Debord himself. The Society of the Spectacle, you say? Actually, I think we’re past that now. Hold the society bit. We’ll just take the spectacle.

The great Parisian Situationist philosopher wasn’t really one for managed fun. But it was impossible not to be bowled over by the extraordinary pre-match show for Paris Saint‑Germain versus Barcelona, Champions League Matchday Three.

The wild pyrotechnics, the plumes of smoke, the full-wrap light show, the lime-green robo‑text spelling out every player’s name on the pitch.…