Paris Saint Germain produced a stunning first-leg display to demolish Barcelona 4-0 and take a giant step towards the last eight of the Champions League.
A brace from Angel Di Maria and further strikes from Julian Draxler and Edinson Cavani condemned the Catalan giants to a defeat that equals their biggest ever in the competition and leaves them with a nigh on impossible task in the second leg in Spain.
Edinson CavaniAFP
Unai Emery‘s side blunted the MSN with a high tempo performance full of attacking verve, ruthlessly cutting through a porous visiting rearguard with only some smart saves from Marc-Andre ter Stegen preventing it from being an even bigger humiliation.
Barcelona enjoyed spells of sustained possession but were continually undone at the back as Draxler, enjoying a new lease of life in Paris following his January move from VFL Wolfsburg, Di Maria and Marco Verratti ran the show.
The defeat will leave many questioning the future of a number of Barcelona’s stars while PSG will feel this is a big statement that they are capable of finally going the distance in the competition.
Emery’s men will now look to finish the job when the teams reconvene for the second leg at the Nou Camp on March 8.
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TALKING POINT
It could be PSG’s time – but is Barca’s over. PSG have never lost a last 16 tie in the Champions League and it looks like that record will continue. Barca have mission impossible. Even if the MSN hit full throttle it’s unlikely they will plunder four or five goals without reply. It may well be the end of an era for a number of the Barca stalwarts as they look set to fall before the quarter finals for the first time in 10 years. PSG have been knocking on the door in recent seasons but have consistently come up short against one of the super powers late in the competition. This could well be a watershed moment, and Emery looks like he is working his magic once again on the European stage after his success with Sevilla.
Di MariaAFP
MAN OF THE MATCH
Angel Di Maria (Paris Saint Germain). Tormented the Barca defence alongside Draxler and Verratti. Scored two sensational goals to cap a birthday to remember.
PLAYER RATINGS
PSG: Trapp ; Meunier 7, Marquinhos 7, Kimpembe 8, Kurzawa 7; Verratti 9, Rabiot 8, Matuidi 8; Di Maria 9, Cavani 7, Draxler 8. Subs: Lucas 7, Nkunku 6, Pastore n/a.
BARCELONA: Ter Stegen 7; S Roberto 5, Piqué 6, Umtiti 5, Alba 6; André Gomes 5, Busquets, Iniesta 5; Messi 5, Suarez 5, Neymar 6. Subs: Rafinha 6, Rakitic 6.
Matchcast: Full match stats and commentary
Ángel Di María (Paris Saint-Germain)AFP
KEY MOMENTS
6‘ – PSG CHANCE! Cavani is left in acres on the left of the area. The PSG forward takes an age to pull it down and get a shot away, allowing Sergi Roberto to make an important block.
18′ – GOAL! PSG 1-0 Barcelona. Di Maria steps up and fires a smart 22 yard free kick over the wall and into the net.
28′ – BARCELONA CHANCE! Neymar shimmies into space and plays a lovely ball in behind the left back for Gomes who surges into the right of the area before flashing a low shot past the advancing Trapp into the side netting.
34′ – PSG CHANCE! Draxler rampages at Sergi Roberto and easily drifts past the full back with a simple stepover. He takes aim with a low drive towards the near post that ter Stegen diverts wide via a big right arm.
40′ – GOAL! PSG 2-0 Barcelona. It’s two! Draxler scores his first CL goal for PSG. Messi loses the ball in midfield and Verratti surges forward. The playmaker lays it wide to his right for Draxler who rifles a low shot across ter Stegen and into the far corner.
55′ – GOAL! PSG 3-0 Barcelona. It’s Di Maria at the double. The Argentine makes it three with a 25 yard curler into the top corner after PSG had played out of trouble from the back.
72′ – GOAL! PSG 4-0 Barcelona! Cavani gets in on the act and Barca are in big, big trouble. It’s four and Cavani’s seventh in seven matches as he takes pass in his stride and rifles it past ter Stegen at the near post.
84′ – OFF THE POST! Almost some hope for Barca. A left wing corner is nodded back towards Umtiti who somehow heads against the post from close range.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Angel Di Maria celebrates scoring against BarcelonaReuters
KEY STATS
Angel Di Maria scored his first direct free-kick in the Champions League (six attempts).
Angel Di Maria scored v Barcelona on his 29th birthday. He scored in his last appearance v Barcelona in Real Madrid‘s Copa del Rey final win in 2014.
Barcelona conceded two goals in a first half of a Champions League knock out game for the first time since 2008 vs Celtic.
Edinson Cavani scored on his 30th birthday – his 34th goal of the season & seventh in the Champions League. Scored in last seven appearances for PSG.
No team has ever overturned a four goal deficit to go through in a Champions League knockout tie.
