Goals: PSG—Luiz 10’, Verratti 26’, Matuidi 54’; Barcelona—Messi 11’, Neymar 56’
Recap: Ninety minutes of inspired football saw Paris Saint-Germain defeat Barcelona on Tuesday.
A set-piece header from David Luiz in the 10th minute was quickly countered by sensational build-up play from Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi. Messi leveled the affair a mere sixty seconds after Luiz’s euphoria. But the hosts weren't finished. Marco Verratti would punish Barcelona on another set-piece header before the half. Blaise Matuidi extended the lead with a clinical finish after the break, only to see it negated by a world-class half-volley from Neymar in the 56th minute.
But PSG proved to be too much on the night, capturing a much-needed 3-2 victory.
Key Moment: Barcelona had its equalizer in the 82nd minute, but a timely block from Marquinhos prevented Jordi Alba from netting a sure-fire equalizer.
Man of the Match: PSG’s Thiago Motta was instrumental in the club’s victory on Tuesday. The 32-year-old finished with an assist and eight tackles.
Lesson Learned: Barcelona still hasn’t cured its set-piece defending woes. The Catalan giants haven’t conceded a goal in league play this season, but in 2013-14, they conceded 19 from dead-ball situations. That accounted for 57.5 percent of their total (33). On Tuesday, it was more of the same. If Barcelona has any hopes of returning to prominence in 2014-15, set-piece defending must be rectified.
Up Next: Barcelona returns to league play against Rayo Vallecano on Oct. 4, while PSG faces Monaco on Oct. 5.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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