Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Barcelona: 5 talking points as Blaugrana suffer early exit | UEFA Champions League 2020-21 

Barcelona and PSG played out a 1-1 draw
Barcelona and PSG played out a 1-1 draw

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

Mauricio Pochettino set his team up to absorb the pressure against Barcelona
Mauricio Pochettino set his team up to absorb the pressure 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.

#3 Barcelona's wait for UEFA Champions League glory goes on

Barcelona suffered their earliest Champions League exit since 2007
Barcelona suffered their earliest Champions League exit since 2007

A run of winning three UEFA Champions League crowns in the space of six seasons saw Barcelona fans up the ante in terms of expectations on the continent.

Their quest for continental glory was further exacerbated by Real Madrid's unprecedented three-peat between 2016 and 2018.

However, despite spending over a billion pounds on player transfers, the Blaugrana are no closer to getting their hands on club football's holy grail.

Barcelona's last triumph on the continent came in 2015 as part of a second treble. A run of six years without Champions League glory is unbecoming for a club of their stature.

It was with this in mind that Lionel Messi promised to return the trophy back to Camp Nou at the start of the 2018-2019 season. However, that proved to be a false dawn and three years down, the Catalans are still waiting to get their hands on the 'Big Ears.'

Even more harrowing has been the manner of their eliminations, with embarrassing and scandalous defeats suffered in each of their last five campaigns to the likes of Liverpool, AS Roma, Bayern Munich and Juventus.

It was the same case this season, as a rampant PSG ran out 4-1 victors against Barcelona in the first leg at Camp Nou, inspired by a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick.

Despite redeeming some of their battered image with a more gutsy performance in the second leg, the Blaugrana did not do enough across 180 minutes to secure a spot in the last eight.

This elimination means that Barcelona's wait for Champions League glory will enter a seventh year. Unless they significantly strengthen the playing personnel, it could be an even longer drought.

#2 Inspired Keylor Navas helps keep Barcelona at bay

Keylora Navas produced several fine saves
Keylora Navas produced several fine saves

Keylor Navas was unarguably the man of the match as he put in one of his more impressive performances to ensure his side did not end up on the losing end.

Considering how Barcelona started the game, they should have given themselves a fighting chance with a couple of goals inside the opening minutes, although they met an immovable object in Keylor Navas.

Perhaps his previous ties with Real Madrid gave him an extra reason to bring his A-game against Barcelona. Regardless of the reason, the 34-year-old proved to be the difference between a draw and a defeat for PSG.

He made nine saves in the game, with the most spectacular coming in the 70th minute when he showed great reflexes to keep out a towering header by Sergio Busquets.

He also dived the right way to deny Lionel Messi from the spot, although the Barcelona captain did not work him hard enough from 12 yards.

The one ball that got past Navas was the spectacular thunderbolt by Messi in the first half. In fairness to the PSG goalie, not even two goalkeepers in the post would have stopped the goal.

#1 Lionel Messi goes from hero to zero on potential Barcelona Champions League swan song

Messi will be out of contract in a few months
Messi will be out of contract in a few months

Lionel Messi drew Barcelona level with an unstoppable shot from 25 yards but he fluffed his lines from 12 yards soon after.

The Rosario native scored five penalties on the continent this season, including one in the first leg against PSG but he missed arguably the most important one of the campaign.

The timing of the opportunity could not have been better, with the penalty awarded with virtually the last kick of the first half.

Had Messi scored, the advantage would have been with Barcelona, as scoring right before halftime would have instilled belief in the visitors' dressing room while raising doubts among the PSG players. However, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner failed to find the back of the net.

With a lot of uncertainty currently surrounding Messi's future, there is a genuine possibility that this might have been his final Champions League appearance in a Barcelona shirt.

If that proves to be the case, the 33-year-old signed off with one of the great wonder goals of his career. He will also do so having failed to take a golden opportunity to spark a comeback.

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh
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