Barcelona succumbed to their first defeat of the season as they lost 3-2 to Paris Saint-Germain. Goals from ex-Chelsea player David Luiz, and one each from Marco Verrati and Blaise Matuidi were enough for the French champions to seal all three points and secure top spot in Group F after two games.
MessiAlthough Barcelona tried to hit back with goals from Lionel Messi and Neymar, they failed to create too many clear cut chances in the end and were left to rue their lack of defensive discipline and cutting edge in front of goal.
Here are the three major talking points from the game.
1. Barcelona’s defensive shortcomings cost them dear
Barcelona came into this game, not only unbeaten, but also as one of only two sides in Europe who hadn’t conceded a goal so far this season. By the end of the game, it became very apparent that their defensive record was more down to their opposition being bad rather than their defence being particularly solid or resolute. The easy with which PSG were able to carve the Catalans defence on the break must have been a worry for coach Luis Enrique who saw his defence fail in their first real test.
All three of PSG’s goals arose from defensive errors. The first two goals only came about as a result of some lackadaisical marking by the Catalans, while the third one was a case of the defence, quite simply switching off. Although Javier Mascherano ensured that no more damage was done late on, on a couple of occasions, the Catalans must surely work on their defensive discipline, particularly if they want to go far in the Champions League.