The long-awaited tie between Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain finally took place as the two sides went head to head at the Nou Camp. Mauricio Pochettino‘s men took Blaugrana for a whole ride as his team scored 4 away goals at the home of the La Liga giants.
More from Everything Barca
- FC Barcelona tracking Belgian Wonderkid
- FC Barcelona vs Betis Player Ratings
- Barça boss Xavi to get contract extension
- FC Barcelona planning swoop for Arsenal midfielder
- Barcelona interested in €30 million wonderkid
PSG won the tie by four goals to one. The second leg is in a few weeks and whether the Catalans can turn this around or not is totally dependent on their mentality. Let’s not forget that they have turned around a slightly bigger deficit a few years ago. However, things are way more different now.
Barcelona failed to be clinical
While the scoreline is ruthless and it looks like a complete thrashing, it was not completely the case. Obviously, Pochettino’s men were outstanding and classy but the Blaugrana were not at their worst. Lionel Messi did the honour of breaking the deadlock with a penalty that Frenkie de Jong earned. After that penalty, Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann received multiple clear-cut chances.
These chances were close to goal and easy to bury and yet the forwards seem to miss them. Even before the penalty was scored the former Atletico Madrid man had an opportunity to score a clear-cut chance that he missed. Before the Parisians even thought of making a comeback, the game should have been a wrap.
Barcelona defense struggling as always
The Catalans have had defensive problems throughout the year. Multiple injuries and off-form centre-backs were the core of Barcelona’s defensive problems. However, the squad was given a huge boost with the return of Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet who were out injured. Ronald Araujo and Oscar Mingueza were doing a decent job in their absence but their return was certainly a boost.
However, their return was not triumphant. It was almost as if the Paris Saint-Germain attackers were on a training pitch. Kylian Mbappe single-handedly ran riot against Lenglet, Pique, and especially Sergino Dest. Dest was hyped to another level ever since his arrival as the fans started making comparisons between him and Dani Alves. However, the youngster was completely outdone by Mbappe who is in the same age group. Hence, the defense has a long way to go.
Kylian Mbappe masterclass against Barcelona
The youngster absolutely ran riot as he landed a hat-trick at the Nou Camp. Three goals from the former Monaco star and a goal from Moise Kean saw the French giants run away with the game. Obviously, things cannot be said before the round of 16 tie completes but as of now they look comfortable.
The French youngster caused havoc for Barca’s backline throughout the game. He landed the equalizer by easily going past Lenglet and Pique was not something Barca fans wanted to witness. He then went on to score two more. This performance was arguably one of the best individual performances the Nou Camp has ever seen and coming especially from a 22-year-old, one can only appreciate.
Mbappe’s hattrick is the first hattrick scored against Barca in the knockout stages of the Champions League since 1997, when the French youngster wasn’t even born.
Will Barca manage to perform a remontada in Paris?