5 Things we learned from PSG’s statement win over Barcelona

1. PSG are still the best in Europe. It’s been a question many have asked at the start of this season as to whether Barcelona are now the best team in Europe considering the way Hansi Flick’s side have started the season but tonight proved that PSG are still the team to beat in this competition, PSG started the better side and hit the post in the opening minutes through Kvarastkhelia but were dealt a blow midway through the half as Ousmane Dembele had to off through injury for the former Barcelona man Ferran Torres. Joan Garcia was keeping Barcelona in the game with save after save but ten minutes before half-time PSG took a deserved lead as Doue picked up the ball on the edge of the box and opened up an angle to reverse the ball past Joan Garcia to make it 1-0 and continue his excellent start to the season for the Parisians. By half-time Barcelona were fortunate not to be two or three goals down but you got the feeling that they would improve in the second half and get back in the game, which is exactly what they did ten minutes into the second half as Fermin Lopez played Xavi Espart in down the right who drove into the box and fired the ball past Safanov to equalise for Barca. You could feel Barcelona growing into the game as the half went on but it was PSG who would strike next as Doue’s corner was headed in magnificently by Lucas Hernandez who restored PSG’s lead in the 72nd minute, Yamal had a quiet first 75 minutes but burst into action as Zaire-Emery’s poor clearance fell right to the Spaniard who drove into the box and toe-poked the ball past Safanov to score a quite outrageous goal and equalise once again for Barcelona, not that they were level for long as just two minutes later in the 80th minute Gerard Martin’s headed clearance fell to Vitinha on the edge of the box who let the ball bounce before firing the ball past Joan Garcia to make it 3-2 with ten minutes to go. Five minutes later PSG killed the game as Hakimi fired the ball to the back-post where Fabian Ruiz was waiting to make it 4-2 and win the game for the home side, a statement sent from the holders of this competition to the rest of Europe, “ beat us if you can.”

2. I honestly have no idea how you would even go about trying to beat this PSG side. If there was ever going to be a team that could compete with this PSG team it was Barcelona but even they couldn’t compete with Luis Enrique’s side which I wasn’t expecting at all this evening, right from the first whistle PSG were the dominant side and should have at least been 2 or 3 nil up at half-time with the chances they created. The goal they did score was pure genius from Doue who’s level has gone up drastically this season whether that’s on the left or right-wing, they limited Barcelona to very little in the first half which no team has been able to do so far this season and that was without Nuno Mendes which made it all the more impressive. The Dembele injury definitely played a part in why they couldn’t score more in the first half as Ferran Torres continues to miss the easiest chances possible which he had plenty off tonight, you knew Barcelona would respond in the second half and Kvarastkhelia got bodied by Espart for the equaliser and had to be carried off so hopefully he’s not out for too long as PSG need him on that left-wing. This PSG team doesn’t really care when they concede and got their lead back thanks to a brilliant header by Lucas Hernandez who was excellent all evening keeping Lamine Yamal quiet up until he was subbed off for Zaire-Emery who quite clearly isn’t a left-back, yet again Barcelona equalised but up steps Vitinha to score yet another brilliant goal from the edge of the box to give PSG the lead yet again. The fourth goal comes from Yamal not following Fabian Ruiz into the box but yet another goal from a PSG midfielder shows just how important they are to this team when the likes of Dembele, Kvarastkhelia and Doue are off the pitch. I’m not shocked by PSG’s brilliance but I am shocked at how big the gulf was between the two teams, I really do hope we see more of this match-up in the knockout rounds. Who would win over two legs? You’d probably give the edge to PSG.

3. Mind games from Hansi Flick at the Parc Des Princes? The first shock of the evening came when the starting 11s were put out with Rodri on the bench and Marc Bernal starting in his place, Rodri has started nearly every game so far for Barcelona so to drop against the reining champions was a real surprise and for Marc Bernal who has had very few minutes in the last few weeks. I understand that El Clasico is on Sunday and that that game might be more important than this one but the former Ballon d’Or holders absence was felt in that midfield and played a big part in the result, I thought Pedri was playing by himself at times in the middle of the pitch and PSG took complete control of the game when he came off. The real surprise of the night was just how poor Barcelona’s attack was throughout the 90 minutes with Gordon, Yamal and Raphinha all having an off night which was odd considering just how in-form all three of were coming into the game. Defensively obviously Barca struggled and with Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia missing the game Hansi Flick was down to the barebones which is why we saw Alejandro Balde for the first time this season in the second half from the bench, losing in the league phase of the Champions League isn’t the end of the world and considering PSG lost Dembele, Marquinhos and Kvarastkhelia through injury maybe Flick was right to rest Rodri ahead of Sunday’s match. I suppose only time will tell.

4. Will Barcelona regret their summer business later in the season? Obviously no one has brought it up so far this season considering they’ve won every single game but tonight did get me thinking about whether or not they will regret not bringing in another striker and centre-back, when Raphinha is having an off night and coming back from injury you’re only real option from the bench is Gabriel Jesus who has barely kicked a ball in the last two years and Karim Adeyemi who isn’t a striker, at centre-back they are quite clearly lacking a defender with pace and PSG broke through the line multiple times and should have punished them more. Gerard Martin has been brilliant as a stand in at centre-back but against the likes of PSG, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid they’ll get punished and I think it’s going to hold them back yet again in this competition this season, they’ll storm La Liga which might help rest players later on in the season but I just don’t see them beating a PSG or Bayern Munich over two legs. If they can avoid them until a possible final then you never know but I just think they are a level below those two teams, maybe I’m being reactionary but it’s just my opinion. Should Barca have signed another striker and centre-back over the summer? I think so.

5. What’s up next for these two sides? PSG are back in action on Sunday in Ligue 1 with a game at home to Lyon which is 1st against 2nd in France so that’s a massive game for both sides, Barcelona are also back in action on Sunday with a massive game against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou where they can already put one hand on the trophy in my opinion. I know it’s early but a nine point gap already if Barca win that match would be too much for Real Madrid so that game on Sunday is crucial for both teams, as for me I’ll be back tomorrow for Como vs Man United and Bayern Munich vs Arsenal. Any chance United can actually put in a good performance in Italy tomorrow? I wouldn’t count on it. ‍