PSG 2-2 Barcelona: Matuidi hands PSG a lifeline

Zlatan Ibrahimovic of PSG celebrates scoring his teams first goal during the Champions League QF against Barcelona at Parc des Princes on April 2, 2013 in Paris, France. (Getty Images)

Blaise Matuidi scored in the dying seconds of a tense encounter at the Parc Des Princes to give Paris Saint-Germain a lifeline to carry to the return leg at Camp Nou in a week’s time, as PSG attempt to get through to the semi-finals of the Champions League and prove that they are championship material.

A match in which Lionel Messi got his customary goal, Ibrahimovic equalized through a vengeful strike against his former team seemed settled after a Xavi penalty in the 89th minute. Only for Matuidi, who grabbed an injury-time equaliser as PSG would hope to the do the unthinkable and beat Barcelona in their own backyard.

Starting Line-ups:

PSG (4-4-2) : Sirigu – Jallet, Alex, Silva, Maxwell – Moura, Matuidi, Beckham, Pastore – Lavezzi, Ibrahimovic.

Ibrahimovic’s reduced ban meant he could start against his bitter old club. David Beckham starting was probably surprising, but maybe the thought process was that his experience in these big games could influence the rest of the team, as most of whom did were relatively new to this stage.

Barcelona (4-3-3) : Valdes – Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba – Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta – Sanchez, Messi, Villa

Xavi and Jordi Alba, who were both major injury concerns after returning from international duty, started while Alexis Sanchez started in place of the suspended Pedro. Otherwise, it was the same starting eleven that mounted the epic comeback against Milan.

Tactics and Analysis:

There were rumours that Mourinho had sent Ancelotti videos on how to beat Barcelona and that PSG had even practiced those tips in the build up to this match. Whether or not that is true, those tactics are not really top-secret or patented. To put it briefly, defend with discipline, soak up the pressure, try and disrupt the passing rhythm and score on the counter-attack. And PSG have Ibra to hold the long balls up front, Lucas Moura and Lavezzi to add pace to the wings, Matuidi to do all the dirty work and yet contribute to the attack, so one could say the plan suited them very ideally, which was evident in the first 15 minutes of play.

It took PSG all of 5 minutes to create their first clear opportunity when Lavezzi found himself in the thick of things and the ball hit the post after it clipped off Busquets, who hurried back to defend. The game began to settle into a rhythm as time went on, with Barca trying to patiently find a way through the defence and PSG trying to hit them on the counter-attack. Lucas Moura proved to be a handful with his pace and Ibra should have done better after Moura laid off a very good ball, only to shoot wide.

The Messi moment came soon after as Dani Alves produced a moment of genius to curl in a wonderful pass with the outside of his right foot into the penalty area after a clearance from a corner. The ball found the left leg of Messi who duly obliged. He smashed it into the net to give Barca the lead.

Usually when Barca takes the lead, teams open up quite a bit as they have to score, which plays to Barca’s advantage. This tie was no different and there were a lot of “ooohhs” when Messi tried to curl a shot into the far corner which was just off target. Barca ended the half with virtually ten men as Messi was engaged in a conversation with Tito, and as Cesc Fabregas started warming up along the touchline, the possibility of an injured Messi started creeping in.

Lionel Messi of Barcelona celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Champions League QF against Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes on April 2, 2013 in Paris, France. (Getty Images)

Surely enough, Cesc substituted Messi at the start of the second half and the absence of Messi soon started to tell. Though not at their mesmeric best, Barca had two big chances to double their goal tally, both of which fell to Sanchez. But as it has become the norm these days, he looks incapable of putting a ball in the net.

PSG began stringing a few passes together and soon enough, a series of set-pieces, Barca’s worst nightmares these days, resulted in an equaliser for PSG. Thiago Silva, who had been excellent throughout the match, headed a free-kick onto the post and the rebound fell kindly for Ibra to score, though replays indicated he may have been offside.

Substitutions were made and the match headed into the final stages when Alexis’ pace was finally put to some use as he knocked the ball out of Sirigu’s reach to claim a stonewall penalty. Xavi sent the keeper the wrong way and the tie looked settled once and for all. However, PSG had the last laugh as Matuidi smashed one into the penalty area in the final minute of injury time and Valdes simply could not adjust to the slight deflection the ball took.

Barca will probably feel that they did not have the rub of the green, what with PSG’s first goal being offside and second goal being scored in the final few seconds with the help of a deflection. PSG on the other hand might feel that they have been rewarded for their hard work and their persistence. At the end of the day, the tie is far from settled and both teams now have all to play for at the Camp Nou in a week’s time.

Man of the match:

Thiago Silva of PSG and Alexis Sanchez of Barcelona chase ball during their teams Champions League QF at Parc des Princes on April 2, 2013 in Paris, France. (Getty Images)

Silva was literally everywhere on the pitch. He put in tackles left, right and centre of the field, tried to bring the ball out of the defence and run into the final third with it and rose higher than everyone else to create the first goal. Even as Xavi scored the penalty in the last stages of the match, he was spotted motivating his team-mates. He took on the responsibility of handling Messi upon himself, and probably did not commit a single mistake in the entire match.

He showed Barcelona what they let go last summer when Camp Nou looked like his most probable destination, before PSG snapped him up. A perfect captain’s performance from arguably the world’s best defender.