A champion took down this great Barcelona team

A thrilling match between two of Europe’s top teams more than lived up to expectations, and in the end, it was the defending champion who came out on top against a hungry challenger. Luis Enrique’s team put a stop to Barça’s 11-game winning streak thanks to a massive offensive display featuring spectacular goals by Doué, Lucas Hernández, Vitinha, and Fabián. Flick’s team fought hard throughout, even tying the game twice, but PSG was the deserved winner. Ferran, playing against his former team, had three clear scoring chances that were thwarted by Joan García, the best player on his side. The worst part for Barça, aside from the loss, was Dani Olmo’s injury, which will cause him to miss El Clásico.

It was a clash between a champion and a team eager to become one. The best possible match right now did not disappoint anyone. It wasn’t decisive in terms of the standings, but both teams treated it as a battle to defend their turf. The two-time European champion wanted to put the brakes on the cocky challenger, and Barcelona wanted to make it clear at Parc des Princes that this year is the year—that it’s finally time to add another Champions League trophy to their collection. In the end, the champion showed why they’re the champion by ending Barça’s unbeaten streak this season.

Hansi Flick had the luxury of resting his only Ballon d’Or winner, Rodri, but he welcomed back another potential Ballon d’Or winner in Raphinha and kept another who has his sights set on it, Lamine Yamal. Luis Enrique was less cautious and fielded the best players he had available, including Dembélé, the current Ballon d’Or winner. Nuno Mendes is injured, and our national hero since July 19, Ferran Torres, didn’t start but played 70 minutes due to Dembélé’s early injury.

From the opening whistle, PSG made it clear who had been dominating Europe for the past two years, and with suffocating man-to-man pressure, they disrupted Flick’s team’s play to the point that a turnover by Pedri to Joao Neves led to a shot by Kvaratskhelia that hit the post before the 2-minute mark. The Parisian pressure forced Barça to play long balls—that said it all. Dembélé and Doué also tried their luck from distance, but Joan García saved their shots. The match wasn’t even seven minutes old, and it was already clear that betting on a 0-0 draw in this game defied logic. A burst of speed by Pedri, followed by a shot that Pacho parried, put Barça on the map at the Parc des Princes.

Once the initial scare of the opening minutes had passed, Barça began to control the ball more as the game went on, and Dani Olmo silenced the crowd with a shot that grazed the post. Dembélé suffered a muscle injury and was replaced by Ferran Torres, and Safonov saved a close-range shot by Raphinha. Barça was already well into the game. Ferran’s first touch nearly made it 1-0, forcing Joan García to make a spectacular save with his face. Dani Olmo also had to leave the game due to injury—Fermín came on for him. It was clear that Ferran was eager to face his former team, as he came close to scoring again on his second run, but Joan García was sensational once more in a sequence that resulted in as many as four shots by PSG.

With Ferran off the field, the home team’s offensive play improved, and Luis Enrique’s men capitalized on a poor pass by Lamine to take the lead with a great shot by Doué from outside the box that slipped between Cubarsí and Gerard Martín. Barça reacted quickly, and Fermín had a chance to tie the game in a one-on-one situation that Safonov saved; on the rebound, Pacho was kicked in the head by Fermín as he attempted a follow-up shot. An absurd refereeing rule forced him to sit out for a minute even though he’d nearly had his head split open. A minute, by the way, during which Barça had a dangerous attack.

The second half maintained the frenetic pace of the first. There was no letup. Joan García, who was saving his team from a heavier defeat, once again stopped a close-range shot by Hakimi that would have made it 2-0. It was a crucial save, as Barcelona managed to tie the game after a deep pass from Fermín to Xavi Espart, who beat Safonov with a powerful shot to the near post. The goal wasn’t the worst news for Luis Enrique’s team, which had to substitute Marquinhos and Kvaratskhelia due to injuries. Flick also freshened up the lineup, bringing on Rodri, Adeyemi, and Gavi. And Gavi nearly made it 1-2 on his very first touch, but Safonov made the save.

The match was starting to go Barça’s way against a PSG side that was no longer pressing as hard and had retreated in the face of the Catalans’ improved play. Lamine, who had been a non-factor up to that point, began to make his presence felt in the final half-hour. Cancelo gave Safonov another scare… Barça could smell victory. Ferran had been a non-factor in the second half, but his first chance hit the post on a play that ended in a corner kick. And on that corner, the score became 2-1 with an unstoppable header by Lucas Hernández. The set piece saved a PSG side that seemed to have given up.

Lamine’s stunner and the final blow

The goal rattled a Barça side that had looked dominant for a few minutes, but then the long-awaited Lamine stepped up, pulling a move out of his hat down the wing—shaking off Zaire-Emery and beating Safonov with a shot from almost no angle. With 10 minutes remaining, a draw wasn’t a bad result for Flick’s team, but this PSG side’s firepower is incredible, and they immediately regained the lead with a thunderous strike by Vitinha from outside the box. That blow proved decisive for Barça, who watched as Fabián scored the fourth goal in the dying moments. It was the first defeat for a Barça team that never backed down and ultimately fell to a true champion. They hope to face each other again in a few months. A classic match if ever there was one.