Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Barcelona (5-2 agg.): Player Ratings as Catalans bow out despite impressive performance | UEFA Champions League 2020-21
Barcelona were unable to repeat history in the UEFA Champions League this week as they crashed out of the competition after an entertaining 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes. The French champions managed a 5-2 aggregate scoreline and have progressed to the quarterfinals courtesy of Kylian Mbappe's first-leg heroics.
Barcelona created numerous chances on the day but were wasteful in the final third and will be left to rue missed opportunities. Lionel Messi scored a stunning goal against Paris Saint-Germain but also had a penalty saved in what was a thrilling encounter.
Barcelona failed to take their chances against Paris Saint-Germain
Barcelona took an unsurprisingly aggressive approach to their game and pinned Paris Saint-Germain back in their own half. The Catalans were relentless with their pressing and the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Sergino Dest threatened the French champions' goal on a number of occasions.
Kylian Mbappe was in no mood to let Barcelona off the hook, however, and scored a penalty to put Paris Saint-Germain further ahead. Lionel Messi responded with a screamer of a goal at the other end to restore parity only a few minutes later.
The first half ended in plenty of drama as Paris Saint-Germain had a penalty of their own at the stroke of half-time. Lionel Messi stepped up to take the spot-kick but his effort was brilliantly saved by Keylor Navas.
Barcelona approached the second half with similar intent but were met by a rejuvenated Paris Saint-Germain side. The French giants seemed focussed on their defensive structure and Mauricio Pochettino managed to starve Barcelona of clear-cut chances.
The Blaugrana did create a fair few chances but were denied by some excellent tackles and saves. Paris Saint-Germain were composed with their defence, however, and managed to keep the scores level at the end of the game.
Paris Saint-Germain Player Ratings
Keylor Navas - 8.5/10
Keylor Navas needed to deliver against Barcelona today and was his near-invincible self against a barrage of Catalan attacks in the first half. The former Real Madrid man could do nothing about Lionel Messi's stunning goal but more than made amends with an excellent penalty save.
Presnel Kimpembe - 7/10
Presnel Kimpembe marshalled Lionel Messi and did not find it easy against the diminutive Argentine talisman. The talented defender did well in the second half and enjoyed a fruitful game.
Marquinhos - 8/10
Marquinhos was stretched by Barcelona in the first half but largely managed to hold his own against the Catalans. The Brazilian centre-back pitched in with several crucial interventions after half-time and guided his side across the finish line.
Layvin Kurzawa - 4/10
Layvin Kurzawa endured a dismal first half and was run ragged by Sergino Dest on the flank. The full-back was lucky not to receive a second yellow card and was taken off for Abdou Diallo at the start of the second half.
Alessandro Florenzi - 6/10
Alessandro Florenzi was kept on his toes by Jordi Alba and Ousmane Dembele for most of the game and held his own against the duo. The Italian defender picked up a knock in the second half and was unable to complete the game.
Idrissa Gueye - 6.5/10
Idrissa Gueye had a good outing and was a robust presence for Paris Saint-Germain in the middle of the pitch. The defensive midfielder threw himself into several tackles and was replaced by Danilo at the hour-mark.
Leandro Paredes - 6/10
Leandro Paredes struggled against Barcelona's creative maestros and had to cover a lot of ground to keep up with the Blaugrana. The Argentine midfielder put in some crunching tackles and received a yellow card for his efforts.
Marco Verratti - 5.5/10
Marco Verratti saw very little of the ball as Barcelona dominated most of the game. The Italian midfielder did complete a few retrievals but was unable to get the better of the experienced Sergio Busquets.
Julian Draxler - 4.5/10
Julian Draxler was largely anonymous against Barcelona and had little to no impact on the proceedings at the Parc des Princes. The German attacker was replaced by Angel Di Maria at the hour-mark.
Kylian Mbappe - 7/10
Kylian Mbappe was given a golden opportunity to add to his goal tally in the first half and took his penalty with aplomb to keep Barcelona's hopes deflated. The French winger was uncharacteristically quiet in the second half but did his part to ensure that Paris Saint-Germain progressed to the quarter-finals.
Mauro Icardi - 6/10
Mauro Icardi won a fairly fortuitous penalty for Paris Saint-Germain after he was unintentionally tripped by Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet at the half-hour mark.
Substitutes
Abdou Diallo - 7/10
Abdou Diallo was an improvement over Layvin Kurzawa on the left flank and won his battles against Sergino Dest. The youngster troubled Barcelona with his runs and made a positive impact on Paris Saint-Germain's game.
Danilo - 7.5/10
Danilo made several game-changing interceptions in his own penalty area and denied Barcelona's a path back into the fixture on several occasions.
Angel Di Maria - 6.5/10
Angel Di Maria was brought on as a counter-attacking avenue in the second half and did manage to initiate a few good passages of play against Barcelona.
Colin Dagba - 6/10
Colin Dagba came on in the second half and put in a robust shift as Paris Saint-Germain looked to maintain their aggregate lead.
Rafinha - 6/10
Rafinha was a late substitute for Marco Verratti and was unable to make much of an impact against his boyhood club.
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