Neymar puts PSG to the sword and sends Barcelona into Champions League semis

We could have had a game here. Barcelona were always odds-on to go through, after winning in Paris, but PSG could have put on a show for football's sake, for the sake of the few thousand fans that traveled and sang. But through a mix of Barcelona's abilities, the French side's deficiencies, and muddled game-plan, this was just a procession for the Blaugrana.

That doesn't detract from two magnificent performances by Andres Iniesta and the man who scored both goals, Neymar. The Brazilian was at his best -- quick, lively, inventive -- and lethal in front of goal.

This was a night that displayed the two sides of Barcelona that it has been Luis Enrique's job -- and one he's doing successfully -- to merge. The old side, the Xavi, Iniesta, Alves side, with the new, the Neymar, Luis Suarez edge. Of course, Lionel Messi belongs to both eras.

We had something of a revival for two players who have seemed below their best for a time.

Iniesta, taken off at half time with the job done, had shown the talent we've always known was there. He's not been bad in the past couple of seasons, he just hasn't been Iniesta. His dizzying dribble which saw him lurch past Edinson Cavani, Yohan Cabaye and Marco Verratti and then slip in Neymar, who broke the deadlock, was classic Andres. Neymar said afterwards that the goal belonged to the midfielder, and nobody was going to argue.

The other player was Dani Alves. This was an excellent night for the defender and if he wants the club to meet him halfway over the numbers in a new contract, he will need to put in a few more of these performances. Up and down the right, as usual, but with more care than he has applied at times after his physical decline. The highlight was his cross for the second goal. Stepover, stepover, stepover, a left-footed inswinging cross and Neymar could barely do anything other than head home, unmarked.

That was PSG's fault, more specifically Gregory van der Wiel. He didn't track the Brazilian and left David Luiz all at sea in the middle, with no hope of getting near either the cross or the player. Luiz was one of the PSG players who, while far from faultless, at least put in the passion the job requires. That won't get you particularly far when your team-mates are letting you drown, but at least there were no nutmeg-shaped incidents at Camp Nou.

Five goals to Barcelona, one to PSG, and Laurent Blanc's team finally had an idea what to do in the second half. Simply stopping the rot is a much easier job than defending against a potent attack whilst also trying to score, and they improved after the break when they were more defensively minded, but Barcelona were relaxing. 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic finally tested Marc-Andre ter Stegen with a stinging drive in the second half, while Ezequiel Lavezzi added the pace the front-line desperately needed. Javier Pastore, meanwhile, endured an awful night and closed the chapter where Eric Cantona hailed him the world's best player. Messi, who looked exhausted and spent a lot of the game merely resting on the right wing, was far superior to his compatriot and barely lifted a finger.

Barcelona now have just 10 games to go, maximum, between now and the end of the season. Win them all, win the treble.