Last night showed how much we have missed the UEFA Champions League as actions returned with Liverpool away to RB Leipzig and Barcelona hosting French team, Paris St. German on Tuesday.
The match at Camp Nou was the one which got everyone including fans who like betting on football talking as we may have witnessed the passing of the touch between Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
Leo Messi opened the scoring from the spot kick after a controversial penalty after Kurzawa tripped Frenkie De Jong but Les Parisiens responded in just two minutes after Kurzawa assisted Mbappe to put PSG level at half time.
It got all intense in the second half as PSG stole the show as Mbappe became the big performer all night long with his pace, dribble and scoring an hattrick as well to take home the ball.
Moise Kean wasn’t left out as he grabbed PSG’s third goal with a header from Parades’ freekick.
Here are four talking points from Camp Nou.
- Clash between ex-Southampton bosses
In 2014, Ronald Koeman was announced as Southampton manager, taking over from Mauricio Pochettino after the Argentine joined Tottenham Hotspur the same year.
Fast forward six-and-a-half years and the two former Saints bosses were managing Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain respectively in the showcase clash of the Champions League last 16.
It’s early days for Koeman and Pochettino in their respective tenures at Barcelona and PSG, but they know they will ultimately be judged on their successes and failures in European competition.
That statement is especially true for Pochettino, as the PSG hierarchy have shown league and domestic titles are not enough if European progress is not good enough.
With that in mind, PSG’s stunning performance at Camp Nou gets Pochettino off to the best possible start, and his side already appear to have one foot in the quarter-finals.
As for Barcelona, Koeman’s future will come under scrutiny after a heavy home defeat, and he willing be hoping to turn thing around in the return leg at Parc de Princes in France.
- A big second leg needed from Barcelona
The deficit is not as huge as that of 2017 but Barcelona will need to produce another remarkable second-leg comeback if they are to progress to the next round of the Champions League
Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick and Moise Kean’s header means the Catalans will need to score four goals at Parc des Princes without conceding a least.
Mbappe showed off his full array of his talents with his sublime three-goal showing at Camp Nou.
His first goal was the result of his fantastic footwork and finishing ability in the box as he combined with Marco Verratti to pull PSG level. His second goal – which put PSG ahead – showed his striker’s instincts as he was in the right place at the right time to finish a loose ball.
And Mbappe’s third was the pick of the bunch, as he curled the ball into the far top corner after a delightful counter-attack in the 85th minute.
The 22-year-old’s was on fire last night for the French outfit leaving Barcelona needing a miracle.
- The combination of Mbappe & Kurzawa down the left
During a fixture filled with really interesting and dangerous moves, it was PSG’s attacks down the left which were most dangerous.
Mbappe and Kurzawa formed a fantastic connection on the left flank and were a constant too much for Sergino Dest, who was too often left without cover.
Mbappe, of course, grabbed a hattrick, but he was also a creative outlet and formed a force with Kurzawa late in the first half, with the left-back forcing a fine save from Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Responding to the danger down their right, Barcelona gradually abandoned their plan to defend with a narrow back four and became increasingly stretched, leaving space for PSG’s other attackers to test Ter Stegen.
As the match wore on, any semblance of defensive discipline began to disappear and Mbappe’s third of the evening – which capped a sweeping counter-attack – raises serious questions of Barcelona’s spirit.
- A questionable Barcelona defence
Ronald Koeman had a major selection headache in the build-up to the visit of Paris Saint-Germain, with Barcelona severely depleted at centre-back.
Gerard Pique had been missing since November with a serious knee injury and back-up option Ronald Araujo sustained an ankle injury the previous midweek.
Koeman was forced to field Frenkie de Jong at centre-back for the clash with Alaves on Saturday – but it would not have been wise to risk the natural midfielder in defence against the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Mauro Icardi.
Fortunately for the Barca boss, Pique returned from injury just in time to face PSG.
But truth be told, the veteran defender struggled to deal with the pace and technique of the Ligue 1 side’s attacks and arguably could have done better for Kylian Mbappe’s first and second goals.
Pique tried to head away Marco Verratti’s Mbappe-bound flick on PSG’s first goal, while his lack of pace meant he was always scrambling to clear Alessandro Florenzi’s pull-back for the second, but could only manage to scuff the ball into Mbappe’s path.
Perhaps he was just rusty, or perhaps Pique’s age are catching up with him.
