Barcelona’s clash against PSG in Paris lived up to its billing on Tuesday night as both sides came at it with their all to win the battle between Europe’s two best teams.
While there was not much at stake, both sides pressed relentlessly to control the game through the middle. PSG won the midfield battle and dominated in the first half, even taking the lead into half-time with a goal scored by Desire Doue.
Barcelona returned after the break with renewed energy and pressed on for an equalizer, eventually earning one through Xavi Espart. Just when it looked like the Catalans were taking over, however, PSG scored through a set-piece to take the lead once more.
Lamine Yamal helped Barcelona return to level terms with a calm and stunning solo finish, but Vitinha scored seconds later to hand the hosts the lead once more.
Barca Universal brings you the player ratings from PSG 4-2 Barcelona.
Joan Garcia: 9.5
The goalkeeper was stellar for Barcelona under the highest of pressure and made massive goal-denying saves in the first half to keep the team in the game.
He was helpless against Desire Doue’s brilliance for the first goal, but was integral in ensuring the first half did not end with a more embarrassing margin. Continued to make massive saves after the break as well.
Joao Cancelo: 7
Cancelo was booked early in the game and spent the rest of the night trying to keep up with Doue and Hakimi with utmost caution. Did not foray into attacking spaces half as much as he would have liked to, and was rash with some of his decisions.
Gerard Martin: 6.5
Martin returning to the starting XI came as massive news for Barcelona, and the defender did decently well against PSG’s incessant attacks. He was at the right place and did not make any rash decisions, but was often outdone by the brilliance of PSG’s wingers.
Pau Cubarsi: 7.5
Cubarsi appeared to have sustained an injury early in the game but continued to play on, and was integral in Barcelona’s defense. Against a French side who seemingly did not take their foot off the gas, Cubarsi’s positioning and leadership at the back were massive.
Further, the player was also a threat on set pieces and did well under the pressure of the PSG front line to play the ball out.
Xavi Espart: 9
Going up against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Espart was up for his biggest challenge yet, and he did fairly well. The youngster kept the Georgian star largely under check and restricted him to shots from distance. His defensive cover, in fact, was superior to Cancelo’s on the left.
Scored a brilliant goal to help the team draw level and finished the night as one of Barcelona’s best players.
Marc Bernal: 6.5
Bernal was the unexpected member in Barcelona’s XI as Flick started Rodri on the bench, and the youngster was under immense pressure on the night.
While he did well in possession, he was often overwhelmed by PSG’s midfield press and ended up losing the ball in risky areas at times. He was not a weak link, but a player who was clearly new to the pressure the game brought with it.
Pedri: 8.5
The Canary Islander started off slow, with a spell of five minutes that he would like to forget. After that, however, he was at his imperial best in possession and simply unmovable on the ball.
On a night when Barcelona’s stars struggled to keep possession, he was the one player holding the team together and ensuring they kept at least a chunk of the possession. Without Rodri, however, he was forced to play far deeper.
Dani Olmo: 7
Olmo started the game well and even had a big chance to score when he struck from distance. Just when he was getting into the game, however, he suffered an injury and was taken off and will likely be out for the medium term.
Anthony Gordon: 6
Gordon had a mixed night against PSG. He was, by far, one of the Barcelona players who lost possession the most and who looked out of sync with the buildup in closed areas.
Yet, he was the one fresh link on the break who made counter-attacks possible and even got into great scoring positions. His hesitation to shoot, however, cost the team two golden chances in the first half. Marked his man very poorly for PSG’s second goal.
Raphinha: 7
Returning to the starting lineup, Raphinha constantly looked to get into the right attacking areas and even did so on occasion. He looked sharp on the ball and came close to scoring twice in the opening half.
His energy in the press, however, seemed to be matched by the opponents for the first time, and even the mighty Raphinha struggled at times to keep up with PSG’s tempo.
Lamine Yamal: 7
Yamal’s first half against PSG was a horror show, for the youngster neither got on the ball regularly nor created any chances of note in 45 minutes. On the other hand, many of his touches were miscued and went straight to PSG’s possession.
Even Doue’s opener, in fact, came off a chance that arrived at PSG’s doorstep owing to Yamal’s miscued pass, and he looked completely off color in every aspect of the game. Came to life in the 78th minute with a stunning solo goal to draw the team level once more.
Fermin Lopez: 7
The youngster came on for Olmo midway through the first half and had the team’s biggest chance of the half to score. However, he went for a soft finish, which was very unlike him, and came close to being sent off for an unintentional challenge as well.
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