PSG 1-1 (5-2) Barcelona result, goals, summary: Champions League 2020/21
PSG-Barcelona: Champions League: as it happened
PSG 1-1 Barcelona (Agg: 5-2): match report
Paris St Germain buried the ghosts of their embarrassing 2017 exit as they drew 1-1 at home with Barcelona on Wednesday to complete a 5-2 aggregate victory that sent them into the Champions League quarter-finals.
Four years after Barça claimed a memorable 6-1 win to overturn a 4-0 first-leg deficit in the last 16, PSG lacked inspiration but their 4-1 advantage from the first game in Spain was sufficient this time. Kylian Mbappé, who scored a hat-trick at the Nou Camp, opened the scoring with a penalty against the run of play before Lionel Messi levelled with a superb long-range goal, but the Argentine had a spot-kick saved by Keylor Navas on the stroke of halftime.
The French champions were on the back foot in the second half as Barca piled on the pressure but Barça exited the competition before the semi-finals for the second year in a row. PSG, without injured forward Neymar, looked nothing like the team who reached last year's final or hammered Barcelona three weeks ago, but they did keep their composure at the back.
Barcelona stamped their authority early on, finding space for Ousmane Dembélé, but the Frenchman was twice denied by Navas and he skied an effort over the crossbar in the opening 20 minutes. Sergino Dest went close for Barca with a powerful angled shot that Navas deflected on to his left-hand post and Dembele broke down the left flank but his cross just evaded a sliding Messi.
It was PSG, however, who went ahead on 31 minutes as Mbappé converted a penalty awarded following a VAR review after Clement Lenglet appeared to step onto Mauro Icardi's heel. Six minutes later, Messi unleashed a 25-metre missile that flew into the top corner to equalise in style with his 120th goal in the Champions League. The Argentine had a chance to put the visitors in front just before the break when Barça won a penalty following a Layvin Kurzawa foul on Antoine Griezmann, but Navas deflected the Argentine's spot-kick onto the bar and away.
Ronald Koeman's side were still all over PSG in the second half and it took a desperate tackle by Marquinhos to prevent Messi scoring from point blank range before Navas cleared a Sergio Busquets header.
Barcelona gradually ran out of steam, however, and must now turn to their bid to win the LaLiga title, where they trail leaders Atlético Madrid by six points.
(Julien Pretot reporting)
Full-time stats
Despite the possession advantage, the chances created in the second half dropped from that impressive first 45.
Koeman will no doubt be pleased with the overall performance, but knows that this tie was lost at the Camp Nou.
FULL-TIME | Agg: PSG 5-2 Barça
Goals: Mbappé ('31pen), Messi ('37)
Peep, peep, peeeeeeep!! And there it is.
PSG into the quarter finals, Barça bow out.
Nothing happening of note. Ball just being knocked around as we await the whistle.
Three minutes to be added
CHANCE!! Mbappé does everything right except for the finish.
Breaks into the box passing Lenglet with ease and just has to pick his spot. He goes for power and does so leaning backwards. The ballboy will be away for some time.
Icardi decides a booking would complete his evening so goes and gets one from Taylor.
The life has, maybe understandably, been taken out of this tie. Just a matter of waiting it out now.
CHANCE!! Barça try again to open things up but it's all a little slow and PSG get numbers in and around their area.
Griezmann does get a shot away from the edge of the box, plenty of power, but high into the empty stands behind Navas.
Rafinha on for Verratti
Messi penalty against PSG should have been retaken
Remember I mentioned that there were some question marks over the Messi penalty?
Read this and you'll see there are more than just ?s
Icardi gets a rare shot away but it was never going to bother Ter Stegen
With 10 minutes left in this game, I feel fairly confident stating that we'll be watching the Champions League quarter-finals without Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in them for the first time since 2004/05.
That probably says more about Barça and Juve than about the players, to be honest.
Time for Koeman's kitchen sink:
Pjanic on for Busquets
Braithwaite on for Dembélé
And young hope Ilaix Moriba on for Pedri
CLOSE! A cracking ball in front of Navas' goal looks as though it will be tapped in by Dembélé but he can't get to it.
So many times it's been 'so close' for Barça.
Lovely delivery from a free-kick by Messi, just cleared away by the defence. Trincao meets the clearance with a sweet volley, on target, but there are enough bodies left in the box to block.
Corner won by Alba who gets in behind the home defence with a simple one-two.
We can put it down to them being a few goals ahead but PSG have looked really rather weak tonight. Half decent finishing could have seen them pay.
SAVE!! Brilliant instinctive block at the front post from Navas as the corner is flicked in off the head of Busquets.
It's not happening for Barça, and I get the impression the players are starting to feel that too.
Messi tries to get around Kurzawa, but doesn't have the pace, clips in a cross instead but it's too long and out.
Trincao comes on for Dest
Some delightful play from Pedri who appeared to have been boxed in on the left touchline but twists, turns and drops a shoulder to come out of it.
Cross from Messi could have caused some problems but Navas comes out and tidies up.
Both Keylor and Di Maria have some memories of big games against Messi and co.
CHANCE!! Nice play from Griezmann, across to Alba on the left edge of the PSG area.
The full-back then feeds Messi around six yards out but the covering defenders find a way to prevent any trigger being pulled.
Ángel Di Maria is on for Draxler and Danilo on for Gueye
Dest and Griezmann combine down the right, but the final cross is played after the ball had just crossed the byeline.
Change coming up for Poch.
PSG have a chance to burst forward but Verratti decides it's not the time to be making this an end-to-end thriller.
Pace drops, and the seconds tick away.
Just as I say that, Pedri plays a neat through ball for Dembélé, who had held the line well, to sprint onto. the winger's cross is cleared well.
The intensity we saw in the first half from Barça is not there just now and it's starting to feel like they may need one of those yellows to turn into a red to give them any fighting chance tonight.
Two yellows shown in quick succession.
First Gueye with an ugly challenge on Griezmann and then Paredes joins him in the book.
Dembélé almost gets away but the ball is then out on the left with Mbappé to be more effective than his opposite number.
The shimmie takes him away but there are enough yellow shirts to stop him getting too far into the danger zone.
It's PSG that get us going and head down the right with quite a bit of space to exploit. A low ball is fired across but the deflection takes it into the hands of Ter Stegen.
Let's go!
Kurzawa is not back out and Abdou Diallo has taken his place
That penalty miss/save
I tend to give the goalkeeper the benefit when they make a penalty save but the truth is that Messi should not have given Navas an opportunity to save that one tonight.
The Argentine could pick any ball-sized space between the three posts and put it there, but he gave the PSG man a decent chance, which he took.
That said, Terry Gibson can't believe it wasn't retaken.
Half-time musings
What a half that was, and as I mentioned during the commentary, not a performance I expected from Barcelona.
They really looked like they believed they could take the game to their hosts and had Dembélé had someone else's shooting boots on Pochettino may be having some very concerned words with his troops.
Someone who certainly had the scoring touch - maybe less surprising than anything else I'll say tonight - was Lionel Messi. What. A. Strike.
It's just a shame for the Argentine that it looks as though it'll count for nothing.
HALF-TIME | Agg: PSG 5-2 Barça
Goals: Mbappé ('31pen), Messi ('37)
Peep! Anthony Taylor blows his whistle and the players head off down the tunnel.
From that penalty save Barça win a corner.
A flick on at the front post is cleared away from goal and PSG may have survived any more pressure...at least for 15 minutes.
Messi steps up...
...it's SAVED by Navas and deflected onto the bar and out. What a chance missed.
Penalty to Barça!
Griezmann appeared to get kicked into the air as he entered the area. Taylor off to double check with the TV.
It's given!
Three minutes added on.
A rare attack from PSG sees Mbappé dink a ball into the Barça area but Ter Stegen is out quick to collect.
More pressing from the visitors - this is so much better than I expected they could offer up tonight - and as the space is closed off for Dembélé on the right side of the goal, he rolls it back to Busquets who shoots first time.
The ball slides through the crowd of players and Navas blocks it away with his legs, fortunately for him missing the crowd on the way out.
De Jong into book for abusive language in the direction of the referee it seems.
Agg: PSG 5-2 Barça
Messi seems to decide that since everyone else is missing the great chances he'd just sort things out himself. The Argentine just finds a little space, a good 20 or so yards out and curls one off the outside of his left foot.
The cracking sound as it hit the net was satisfying.
Junior Firpo on for Mingueza
A reminder that Barça came here needing to score four...and still need to score four (although now it would only see extra-time activated*)
*and that assumes they don't concede any more!
CHANCE!! And this one really should have ended in a Barça goal.
Dembélé again, the ball played onto a silver platter for him to fire home, but a tepid effort is gratefully accepted by Navas.
Immediately Dembélé is off scampering into the PSG penalty area to try and get something back quickly.
In a similar position to an earlier shot, this time he cuts inside, but is met by four defenders who say 'thou shall now give us the ball back'. He duly does.
Agg: PSG 5-1 Barça
Penalty to PSG!!!
VAR review here. A possible penalty to PSG which would be the biggest kick in the teeth for an impressive Barça performance.
Icardi taken down off the ball in the area.
Mingueza is the first Barça man into the book after pulling back Mbappé.
CHANCE!! Dembélé down the left channel and fires a low pass across goal. Messi coming in at pace throws himself to get a toe on it but just can't reach.
It already doesn't feel like it's Barça's night.
CLANG-SAVE!! That is incredible. Dest into space down the right, and he fires hard from a tight angle.
Navas somehow directs it onto the underside of the crossbar and it comes out.
This was Mbappé's performance in the first leg. He's not had much of the ball so far tonight...but has looked threatening when he does have it.
SAVE!! Navas called into proper action for the first time. A nice strike across goal from Dembélé forces the former Madrid number one to get down to his left smartly.
Barça very much on top in this first 20.
CLOSE!! Griezmann has a great chance to head home from close range but his downward effort is deflected away for a corner.
The Frenchman should have done better.
Mbappé gets a first real run at the Barça defence. Faced up by two, he drops a shoulder, does a stepover and loses one. Similar action sees him pass Dest too and he delivers a promising ball across the six-yard box. No one there.
CHANCE! First PSG break and almost fashion an opening in the Barça area, but it's the counter that appears more dangerous.
Man-of-the-moment Dembélé collects centrally, not far from the PSG box, and shifts himself into space to shoot. He skies it.
SAVE! Dembélé has been very lively in these early exchanges and is set free towards goal with just one defender near.
The Frenchman controls with his head in the area and then swings a left boot. It's on target but not the cleanest and Navas gathers easily.
Messi steps up and...it's over the bar.
Let's call that his loosener.
Kurzawa into the book early. Dembélé skips away and is sent flying by a clumsy leg from the 28-year old.
Messi may fancy this, about 20 yards out.
Nice breakaway from the visitors, Dembélé tricking and speeding his way to the left bye-line but there are no options for him to pass to when he arrives.
Messi follows up and is found by the winger but a low drive from the Argentine is blocked.
Plenty blue and red shirts covering back.
The ball in from the corner is a good one, and find Marquinhos at the front post. A subtle flick-on could have caused plenty bother but he gets way, way too much of his head on it and its away for a goal kick.
Corner to PSG.
Mbappé broke away and played in Veratti whose cross was blocked.
The visitors, in their bright yellow senyera kits have a little possession in the centre but are closed down sharply as soon as they consider advancing and forced back.
It will be interesting to see how Pochettino approaches this one.
Peep! Barça get us underway.
Anthony Taylor, from England, is out referee tonight.
Right, the teams are out on the field and we have that uplifting music filling the empty stadium.
Almost time...
PSG vs Barcelona: the Champions League and the comeback
Remontada
All the talk in Spain is, understandably, focused on the potential of a comeback, but you'd be hard-pushed to find even a dyed-in-the-wool blaugrana that truly believes it's possible.
Crazy comebacks tend not to be that crazy when analysed, take Liverpool's 4-0 win at Anfield to flip the Camp Nou first-leg result on its head. The Reds were a much better team over both legs so it was always possible.
This current Barça side haven't suggested they have enough about them to turn this one around. But that said, an early goal, a PSG red card, or just 'one of those nights' and this could be another one for the history books.
Before the whistle goes, remind yourself of the last time we had a mad tie between these two.
First goal bets
So who's your money on?
The obvious contenders from each team are Mbappé and Messi, but let's not forget some other pretty special attacking talents.
For the hosts, Icardi is definitely another threat, while Marquinhos could also pose a threat from corners.
Koeman will be hoping for more from his rather expensive attackers. Both Griezmann and Dembélé were brought to the Camp Nou with high hopes of raising the bar and taking the pressure off their number 10. We regularly see glimpses of what they may be able to offer...but nowhere near enough.
Tonight is a night set up for heroes to emerge...
Barcelona: when did Messi make his first Champions League appearance?
A UCL Messi farewell?
Lionel Messi faces Paris Saint-Germain in what could be his last ever Champions League appearance for Barcelona, amid uncertainty over the star’s future at the Camp Nou.
Messi, 33, is out of contract this summer and could leave Barça after a near 17-year spell in the first team which, so far, has seen him score a club-record 658 goals to help the Blaugrana to 33 trophies - a haul that includes 10 LaLigas, six Copas del Rey and four Champions Leagues.
Full story:
Pitch perfect
The Parc des Princes is looking stunning but, as we've become disappointingly used to in the last year, the sun will set and the ground will remain void of fans.
Just how much are we going to appreciate the noise of a crowd when it returns, hopefully in time for next season.
Can PSG's Neymar play against Barcelona?
Neymar out
Of course, the big team news ahead of this fixture was the absence of PSG's Neymar, a former Barça player who had been linked with an incredible return to the Camp Nou...something that looks very unlikely now, but probably served his new contract dealings rather well.
Barça: starting XI
Ter Stegen, Mingueza, Lenglet, De Jong, Dest, Busquets, Pedri, Jordi Alba, Messi, Griezmann, Dembele
PSG: starting XI
Navas, Florenzi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Kurzawa, Gueye, Paredes, Draxler, Verratti, Mbappe, Icardi
Team news
Right, team news is winging its way across. Let's look at the home side first...
Chances of a comeback?
Let's not fool ourselves, for Ronald Koeman's men to progress in the competition, it's going to take what is likely to be referred to as a 'footballing miracle'.
That said, in football, those type of 'miracles' do happen, and Barça have been invovled in several over recent years.
We thought we'd look at some of the four-goal comebacks... giving a glimmer of hope to the visiting side tonight.
Have Barça ever come back from four goals down and other 'miracles'
Barcelona believe
Frenkie de Jong spoke about the belief in the Barça camp, and that despite needing to score four goals, it ain't over till it's over.
PSG: capital voices
How better to look ahead to this second leg than by getting the opinions of some of those that will be involved.
Listen as the local lads give their views.
PSG vs Barcelona: compared
Ahead of the knockout phase of the Champions League, we asked our friends at SofaScore to check out the head-to-head of these two elite clubs. This graphic gives a very clear outline of Barça's edge over their meetings, although many would argue that the tide has turned.
With the likelihood of key changes to, at least, the playing staff at both clubs in the coming months, it will be interesting to see how this comparison evolves over the next few years.
Route to Round of 16: Barcelona
Although finishing second to Juventus (with the same points total) it was a much more comfortable group stage for Barça. Whereas PSG still had work to do in the final match, the Catalan giants' passage was already safe.
| group H | T | MP | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
Route to Round of 16: PSG
The Ligue 1 side topped their group with four wins and two losses from their six.
| group H | T | MP | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
PSG vs Barcelona: match preview
The Ligue 1 champions, and Champions League finalists last season, host Barcelona at Parc des Princes with one foot already in the quarter-finals after their stunning 1-4 victory at Camp Nou three weeks ago.
That night Kylian Mbappé proved once again he is one of the most talented forwards in the world, together with Norwegian sensation Erling Haaland, by scoring a 'hat-trick'.
Mbappé made history in the first leg
He became the third player of all time to score a Champions League hat-trick against Barcelona after Faustino Asprilla and Andriy Shevchenko.
Barcelona will try to remember some of their magical nights in Europe in the past, especially the historic 6-1 comeback against the Parisian outfit back in 2017 (6-1), although this time the Catalan giants won’t have the support of their fans.
Barcelona will give it a go, PSG used to scoring at home
However, PSG, who lost last season’s final to Bayern Munich, head into the second leg having scored 22 times in a row on home soil in the Champions League.
Both teams go into the match in good form: PSG have won their last three matches, including a French Cup encounter against Stade Brestois last time out (0-3), while Barcelona have been victorious in their past four games.
The Parisians are second in Ligue 1, two points behind Lille, while the ‘Blaugranes’ are also second in LaLiga, with three points less than Atlético Madrid, who have one game in hand.
PSG vs Barcelona: Champions League welcome
Hello and let me wish you a very warm welcome to our huge European offering that we are serving up for you tonight: Paris Saint-Germain vs FC Barcelona.
Of course, when I say we are serving up, what I really mean is that we have the joy of bringing you all the news on the game as it happens, with Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and co hoping to deliver for their teams.
Our build-up starts here...