Barcelona was torn apart by Paris Saint-Germain

We analyse what went wrong for the Spanish giants in their 4-0 last-16 first-leg defeat that sees them facing elimination before the quarterfinal for the first time since 2007.

The Paris hammering equalled Barca’s worst defeat in the Champions League, and no team has ever turned around a deficit of four or more goals in the competition.

So, how did things go so spectacularly wrong for the 2015 champions at Parc des Princes, and what does the defeat mean?

Before the match, Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard agreed that to beat Barcelona you needed all three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar to be below their best. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defended so stoutly that they forced each into subpar performances, with only Neymar getting anywhere close to best.

story_article_left1

But even with the brilliance of Suarez and Neymar, Messi remains Barcelona’s fulcrum and he is still the man opposition teams know they must keep quiet to have even a slim chance.

PSG shackled Messi brilliantly, forcing the Argentine deeper and deeper until he ended the night without a single touch in the penalty area.

Barcelona managed one shot on target and Suarez was peripheral, drifting around in areas he couldn’t hurt PSG and managing only 30 touches all game (five of which were taking kick-offs) — second fewest of any of the players who started.

Barca’s front three were subdued, but PSG’s attacking trio were sensational. Angel di Maria, Julian Draxler and Edinson Cavani all scored as Gerard Pique and Samuel Umtiti floundered.

Draxler managed 11 touches in the Barcelona box, completed three dribbles and took his goal beautifully. Cavani was equally clinical, and his goal encapsulated all that is good about the

Uruguayan when he is confident — exceptional movement and the ability to take shots on early and catch goalkeepers off guard.

Barca beaten at their own game

Barcelona’s calling card over the last 30 years has been their relentless pressing game and willingness to build attacks from pretty much their own goalline, which peaked under Johan Cruyff and Pep Guardiola and has been continued by their successors.

PSG though were brave enough to take them on at their own game, ripping into Barcelona from the first minute to deny them any time on the ball.

Barcelona looked unnerved by the pressure and seemed to lack the stomach, or the energy, for the fight against PSG’s irrepressible midfield of Rabiot, Blaise Matuidi and Marco Verratti.

After the match Barcelona manager Enrique admitted: “They [PSG] were superior to us from the start, overcame us in terms of applying

pressure, created danger — it was a night in which we were clearly inferior.”

story_article_right2

Led by Rabiot, PSG were also confident enough to employ the Barcelona tactic of playing out from the back, and having the confidence to do so led directly to the third goal.

Rabiot took a short pass from his goalkeeper Kevin Trapp and burst past Messi deep in his own half before slipping a pass to Draxler to start a move that was expertly finished by Di Maria.

The goal was a reminder of how vulnerable Barcelona are if a team is brave enough to attempt to beat the first press by bringing the ball forward aggressively from deep positions.

Bossed in central midfield

Matuidi put in a very solid shift for PSG, but it was Rabiot and Verratti who really caught the eye at the Parc des Princes. Rabiot also produced arguably the moment of the match with a flicked nutmeg pass through

Messi’s legs in the second half. Barcelona’s midfield three by contrast were woeful, and offered precious little protection to the back four.

Barca faced 10 shots on target in the match — their joint-highest in a Champions League match since the 2003-04 season — and the complete lack of protection afforded to their defence made it even more curious why Enrique had opted to start the disappointing Gomes ahead of Ivan Rakitic.

Gomes shocker

Andre Gomes started in central midfield but was substituted after 58 minutes following a pretty wretched display. The 23-year-old was unable to cope with the aggression of the PSG midfield, and gave the ball away seven times, winning just 29% of his duels and none of his tackles. He also missed a good chance in the first half that would have made it 1-1 and completely transformed the match.

There was a moment that summed up Gomes’s night right at the start of the second half when he was hounded off the ball by Matuidi and forced to respond with a desperate foul. It smacked of a player struggling in the rarefied Champions League atmosphere, and 12 minutes later he was taken off with his team a further goal behind.

story_article_left3

Against a team as motivated as PSG, Barcelona couldn’t afford a passenger in the team. Unfortunately for Enrique, Gomes was exactly that.

Missed chances

Barcelona didn’t create much, but had two giltedged opportunities to grab a crucial away goal to change the complexion of the tie. As well as Gomes’ first-half miss, Umtiti hit the post with a header late on that would have at least given Barca something to cling onto for the secondleg.

Instead, they were left to reflect on a night that was far worse than they could have imagined.

Enrique lost battle of managers

Going into the match, it was repeated ad nauseam that PSG manager Unai Emery had beaten Barcelona just once in 23 attempts, the suggestion being that the weight of history would count against his team.

There was no sign of an inferiority complex on Tuesday night though as Emery sent his team out to unsettle the Barca midfield and had clearly instructed the PSG players to ruthlessly target Barca’s right side of Roberto and Gomes, something Draxler and left-back Layvin Kurzawa did to devastating effect.

Emery now has two wins from his last four matches against the Catalans, both of which came with the under-fire Enrique in charge. It seems almost inevitable that Enrique will be sacked, and watching his team’s limpness it is hard to put up much of a case for keeping him.