Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Barcelona: 5 talking points as Blaugrana suffer early exit | UEFA Champions League 2020-21
First-half goals from Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi ensured that Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona shared the spoils in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 tie.
The hosts came into this fixture with an overwhelming advantage, having picked up a comfortable 4-1 victory at Camp Nou three weeks ago.
Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman made a bold tactical switch as he sent his side out in a 3-4-3 formation, with Frenkie de Jong dropping back into defense.
The visitors had the odds stacked against them and needed a quick start if they were to have any chance of progression. This was exactly what happened, as Barcelona started the game on the front foot and kept PSG pegged in their own half.
In what was a vintage throwback to the great Blaugrana teams of the past, the visitors were sleek with their movement and one-touch passing that constantly bypassed the PSG defense.
Barcelona were, however, let down by poor finishing in the final third and failed to take any of the chances they created early on.
They also hit the post in the 23rd minute when Sergino Dest's driving run down the right flank ended with him rattling the top post from an acute angle.
PSG made them pay for their profligacy soon after, as Clement Lenglet was punished for clipping Mauro Icardi's heel in the area.
Referee Anthony Taylor had initially waved play on but changed his decision upon reviewing the situation with the VAR. He also issued a yellow card to Lenglet for good measure.
Hat-trick hero from the first leg Kylian Mbappe stepped up to take the spot-kick and made no mistake from 12 yards, sending Marc-Andre ter Stegen the wrong way to put PSG 1-0 up on the night and 5-1 up on aggregate.
Lionel Messi leveled the scoreline just six minutes later when he rifled in an unexpected shot into the top corner from 25 yards. The accuracy of the shot caught everyone off guard and will undoubtedly be a contender for goal of the season.
Barcelona had a golden opportunity to go ahead right on the stroke of halftime when they were awarded a penalty of their own for a foul on Antoine Griezman by Layvin Kurzawa.
Messi expectedly took responsibility for the spot-kick. However, unlike his effort in the first leg, the Rosario native fluffed his lines, with a poor penalty easily saved by Keylor Navas.
There were checks to ensure that the PSG goalkeeper had not crossed the line before the shot was taken, but the VAR found nothing untoward.
The second half continued in the same fashion as the first, with Barcelona asking all the questions, while the hosts were content to sit back and absorb the pressure.
It was, however, more of the same frustration in front of goal, with Griezmann, Dembele and Messi all guilty of missing gilt-edged chances.
PSG's opportunities in the second half mostly came on the break, as they tried to use the pace of Kylian Mbappe to get in behind the Barcelona defense.
However, the France international was also guilty of profligacy, and the end result was that neither side could find the back of the net in the entirety of the second half.
The draw means that PSG progress to the quarterfinals, while Barcelona failed to make it to the last eight for the first time since 2007. Instead, they will now turn their attention to domestic action, with the visit of Huesca awaiting them next Monday.
Here are five talking points from the game.
#5 Backs-against-the-walls approach by Mauricio Pochetino helps PSG get the job done against Barcelona
Four away goals and a three-goal advantage meant that PSG held all the cards heading into this return fixture.
In light of this, Mauricio Pochettino was wary of going gung-ho in attack despite having some of the most fearsome forwards in world football.
Rather, he set his side up to absorb the pressure from the visitors, and this made for a rather one-sided game where Barcelona did all the attacking.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen was very rarely called into action, while Icardi and Mbappe were largely starved off service in attack.
Mauricio Pochettino is primarily known as an offensive coach who prefers his side to play on the front foot. However, the unique situation PSG found themselves in meant that it made more sense to be pragmatic on home turf.
Ultimately, the defensive approach of the hosts proved to be effective, with Barcelona failing to score more than a goal despite all their possession.
#4 Profligate Ousmane Dembele fails to take his chances
Ousmane Dembele was the brightest spark in attack for Barcelona, particularly in the first half, but the Frenchman was also guilty of being the most profligate.
With the visitors in need of at least four goals, they showed their intention from the get-go and fashioned several notable chances in the opening half-hour.
Ousmane Dembele, however, fluffed his lines whenever he found himself clean on goal. He hit weak shots straight at Navas on two occasions, while also forcing the PSG goalkeeper into a low save to his right when it would have been better to find the top corner.
It was not only Dembele's finishing that was off-color in his homeland. His decision-making in the final third also left a lot to be desired, as he either made the wrong choices or underhit his final pass when teammates were in space.