Barça's relationship with the Champions League on the rocks after Valentines' humiliation in Paris

Barça's relationship with the Champions League on the rocks after Valentines' humiliation in Paris

PSG scored four times without response as Luis Enrique's side fell apart on Tuesday night

Barcelona’s Champions League hopes are hanging by the thinnest thread possible. They were thumped 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday and the harsh truth is that it could — and perhaps should — have been more. 

Angel Di Maria scored twice, with Julian Draxler and Edinson Cavani also on target as Unai Emery secured his second ever win against Barça as a manager in his 24th game against them. He had to wait until last season for his first, when his Sevilla side won 2-1 at the Sanchez Pizjuan. 

This was much more empathic than that, though. Luis Enrique’s side will have to come up with the comeback of all comebacks if they want to keep their European dream alive. They couldn’t even save an away goal here, with Samuel Umtiti coming closest when he hit the post late on. 

It was such a sluggish performance from the Blaugrana. None of the front three, with perhaps the exception of Neymar turned up, and there were signs that the returning Andres Iniesta was not fully fit. At the back they were at sixes and sevens. They were torn apart. 

Emery’s three back-to-back Europa League successes prompted PSG to hire him as they looked to kick on in the Champions League — something they’d not managed under Laurent Blanc. And they flew out of the traps here like a side capable of winning the competition. 

Adrien Rabiot picked up an early booking for a foul on Neymar before the home side stamped their authority on the game. Sergi Roberto did well to block an Cavani effort and Marc-Andre ter Stegen made a stunning save from Blaise Matuidi. That was all inside the first 10 minutes. 

A PSG goal was coming and it arrived eight minutes later. Samuel Umtiti was caught out and in return he caught Draxler, bringing the German down on the edge of the area. Di Maria curled home the free-kick but there can be questions about the Barcelona wall. 

Cavani then shot straight at Ter Stegen and a Messi free-kick struck the wall, before Andre Gomes fluffed Barça’s best first half chance. Neymar, his side’s most dangerous player, skipped past a number of PSG bodies, using his pace before slipping in Gomes. The Portuguese international’s finish was poor, though, hitting Kevin Trapp and then the side netting. 

Gomes was then booked for a foul on Draxler, who in the 40th minute scored the second goal of the night. Messi was dispossessed by the eager Rabiot, allowing the impressive Marco Verratti to drive forward and slip Draxler in on the left side of Barca’s penalty area. The January signing from Wolfsburg did the rest. 

The second half immediately fell into the same patter. It was no surprise, then, when Di Maria bagged his second goal. In one of the themes of the evening, PSG poured forward through the midfield too easily, Di Maria cut inside and curled home from outside the area. 

The French champions weren’t done, though. A Rabiot cross caused danger and substitute Lucas Moura shot straight at Ter Stegen with the fourth goal brewing. It came when Thomas Meunier was allowed to stroll forward and pick out Cavani, who wasn’t tracked by Gerard Pique. On his 30th birthday, the Uruguayan slammed home.

Topics with the letter