Paris Saint-Germain claimed a 4-2 victory over Barcelona in an exhibition-style Champions League fixture at the Parc des Princes, marked by constant attacking intensity. While the result secured a win for the hosts, the match was characterized by the defensive vulnerabilities of the Catalan side and PSG’s persistent offensive threats. A football match too, and across town. Do any of these randomly pitched autumnal Champions League fixtures mean anything. And the only game in town is risk-free TV income and a semi-guaranteed place in the knockout stuff, probably not when you’re Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona. PSG finished 4-2 winners, having been pegged back to 2-2 midway through the second half. And where the only really hard message was the frailty of the Barcelona backline and PSG’s thrilling attacking energy in these midweek A-games, but this was also a game where the score almost did not seem to matter. Which lurks by the ring road in one of Paris’s slightly négligé inner quarters, rising up like a vast concrete alien doughnut in between the townhouses, the main site of the violence of the last few days is three miles east of the Parc. On matchday it required a degree of cognitive dissonance to take in these two opposing spectacles. In reassuringly Parisian style, seemed to focus on elite high-fashion brands, on one hand the piles of charred bikes and the mass looting which has. Stuffed with so many throwaway little delicacies, like an elite artisan patisserie, in the middle of which Paris also hosted this glittering treat of a football match. A laser show spectacular, and a vast tifo at one end showing a ghoulish PSG serial killer type attacking the Barcelona badge with his blood-soaked chainsaw, before kick-off there were leaping tongues of flame. For Hansi Flick’s Barcelona it represented a genuine test of method. Here we have an elite team that plays with a studied disregard for some of the tenets of positional defensive play.
The atmosphere in Paris was heavy with tension as the city deals with ongoing civil unrest.
Before kickoff, an extremely loud announcement echoed through the stadium; while it was unclear if the voice shouted “Debris!” or “du bruit,” the noise underscored the strained environment outside the stadium walls. France’s interior minister had previously stated that the match would proceed as scheduled, dismissing concerns about a postponement. Fire, noise, fury, a sense of empty energy. DEBRIS!” the insanely loud PA announcer screamed into his mic before kick-off, in what appeared to be a poor-taste tribute to the current state of the nation’s capital, although it may also have been “ du bruit ”. The kind of statement that is no doubt intended to sound reassuring, but which also generates its own kind of whiplash, in the hours leading up to this game France’s interior minister had specifically ruled out postponing the whole thing due to the ongoing state of civil unrest. We will press forward and trust what lies behind. As it turned out, we will also give up on the basic idea of marking pretty much from the kick-off.
PSG started with significant aggression.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia saw an early shot hit the post after just one minute, followed by an offside Ousmane Dembélé missing an open goal. A quick diagonal passing move from right to left put Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in space.
Barcelona’s defense struggled early against the movement of PSG’s front line, while their own midfielders, Pedri and the 19-year-old Marc Bernal, worked to find a rhythm. A baby-faced 19-year-old Catalan, misleadingly so, as he also has the physique of a rugby union flanker, bernal is pure La Masia.
Dembélé’s night ended early when he was substituted for Ferran Torres due to an injury after 18 minutes.
The defensive pressure on Barcelona proved costly early on. João Cancelo received a yellow card in the 16th minute for a challenge on Désiré Doué. PSG eventually broke the deadlock in the 38th minute when Doué found space inside the box to finish low after a sequence initiated by João Neves and Lamine Yamal. A disastrous state of affairs for any full-back faced with this nightmare of feints and fast-twitch feet, joão Cancelo was booked with 16 minutes gone for a lunge on Désiré Doué. PSG had three shots blocked or saved in the space of six seconds on 28 minutes, Joan García saving brilliantly low down.
The second half remained wide open. Barcelona leveled the score in the 55th minute through Xavi Espart, who smashed a shot past goalkeeper Matvey Safonov for his first European goal. Barcelona bolstered their side by introducing Rodri, though the game continued to swing between both ends of the pitch. PSG reclaimed the lead after a corner allowed Lucas Hernandez to power a header into the top corner.
Barcelona responded seven minutes later, with Lamine Yamal leveling the match at 2-2 following a skillful run and a precise near-post finish. However, the parity was short-lived. Just two minutes later, Vitinha restored PSG’s lead to 3-2 by capitalizing on a loose ball near the edge of the penalty area with a composed first-time strike, eventually setting the stage for the final 4-2 outcome.
