How PSG Was Able To Beat Barcelona Again?

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) clinched a thrilling 2-1 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League by exploiting Barcelona's high defensive line with tactical precision and youthful energy.

The most anticipated pairing was of how Nuno Mendes would contain Lamine Yamal

Nuno Mendes has been in his best form of his life, with him pocketing high-profile wingers last season; this was something fans would have liked.

Even though we saw a glimpse of how it could go in the Euros, there was still a hope this would be different for Barca fans at least.

How did PSG score against Barcelona?

From early in the match, PSG targeted the space behind Barcelona's defence, with right-back Achraf Hakimi frequently testing the high line, eventually assisting the winning goal in the 90th minute scored by Goncalo Ramos.

One thing we need to note here is that PSG seems to have deployed their B-team against Barcelona, with players like Kvara and Dembele absent; it was players like Mbaye and Baracola that made PSG line up successfully.

Hakimi's overlapping runs and positional awareness were key components in PSG's attacking strategy.

Barcelona's high line, positioned about 35 meters from their goal, is designed to compress the pitch and facilitate quick counter-pressing.

While this tactic generally works well for them, it backfired against PSG due to the latter's dynamic fullbacks and midfielders, who could drop back to allow them freedom to attack.

PSG's fullbacks, Nuno Mendes and Hakimi, combined power, range, and positional sense to repeatedly penetrate Barcelona's defence, with Mendes also contributing to the equalising goal by setting up Senny Mayulu.

Despite Barcelona creating more chances and having slightly more possession, their youthful lineup of mostly academy players proved vulnerable to PSG's physicality and quick transitions.

Barcelona's 17 and 18-year-old academy talents, including Lamine Yamal, showed promise but were subdued in the second half as PSG capitalised on defensive errors. Barcelona's coach, Hansi Flick, admitted the need for better defensive structure post-match.

PSG’s victory was a testament to their tactical execution and squad depth, showcasing how precision, youth, and exploiting tactical weaknesses can overturn even the strongest of opponents like Barcelona in crucial Champions League ties.

This win marks PSG as the only team to beat Barcelona thrice consecutively on their home ground in the competition, demonstrating their growing dominance in European football