Barcelona // Barcelona coach Luis Enrique and several of his leading lights were true to their word. They had defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in the Uefa Champions League quarter-finals first leg last week and promised there would be no let up in their intensity for Tuesday night's return at Camp Nou.
There would be no resting of players who have been playing twice a week for nearly nine months, no switching tactics. Their prophecy was confirmed as the tournament favourites dominated and led 2-0 with barely a third of the game gone against a side who had aspirations of winning the competition only a week ago. On this showing over 180 minutes against Barca, lacklustre PSG need to improve significantly if they are going to challenge Europe’s elite.
Barca beguiled in both legs, triumphing 2-0 at home and 5-1 on aggregate to qualify for a seventh semi-final in eight years. To put it into context no English team has reached more than three semi-finals in that period.
PSG could be excused for missing key protagonists Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marco Verratti to suspension in the first-leg defeat, but both returned last night and barely made a difference.
Their fans deserved better. They snapped up all 4,500 tickets for the match in Catalunya before the first leg to support Laurent Blanc’s team, easily dwarfing the numbers of travelling fans who visit Barcelona for domestic matches.
Being seated high on the third tier didn’t stop them being heard, but they winced when defender David Luiz picked up a yellow card after taking a heavy touch before stretching clumsily into a challenge with Ivan Rakitic as he attempted to win the ball back in the third minute.
The Parisians could have been excused for having their breaths completely taken away 10 minutes later as most of the 84,447 crowd did. Running from his own half, Andres Iniesta turned away from Yohan Cabaye, swept past Edinson Cavani and Verrati and saw off Marquinhos, rated as one of the best young defenders in the world. Barca’s captain then played in Neymar, who got away from Luiz with ease before rounding Salvatore Sirigu to give his side the lead.
Before he became Barca coach, Enrique said of Iniesta: “After Messi, Iniesta’s the most inventive player in Spanish football at the moment. He’s like Harry Potter. 1-2-3, and whoosh, he’s past the player. It’s like he has a magic wand.”
Barca were 2-0 up after 33 minutes when Neymar, left unmarked by a ragged Parisian defence, leapt to head in a Daniel Alves cross.
The Brazilian striker finished both his chances efficiently; his compatriot who assisted his second was roasting former teammate Maxwell in his old house. Barca’s striking triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez now boast 95 goals between them so far this season. Only the front three of Messi, Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry of the epic 2008/09 season, when Barca won the treble of European Cup and Spanish league and cup season have reached 100 in a season. Hopes are high for a repeat this term.
PSG, chasing an unprecedented quadruple of Champions League, French league and both their country’s domestic cup competitions, couldn’t get close to their opponents.
They are stocked with world-class performers but Blanc’s side looked lost, their confidence battered by opposing brilliance and their own profligacy in possession. Javier Pastore, the Argentine who cost more than nine of Barca’s players, needlessly gave the ball away several times. They now needed to score four goals but hadn’t looked close to scoring one.
At least they were spared more of Iniesta as Barca’s captain was taken off at half time, but it wasn’t long before the home fans were singing “Au Revoir”, and the Paris fans joined arms to do a Poznan dance. It was probably better that they had their backs to the pitch.
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