Paris Saint-Germain travelled to Barcelona on Wednesday night holding a 4-0 advantage from the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
That deficit was cut to 4-1 in just the third minute of the second leg courtesy of a close-range header from Luis Suarez, before an own-goal from Layvin Kurzawa saw Barcelona take a 2-0 lead on the night late in the first period.
A Lionel Messi penalty made it 3-0 Barcelona early in the second half, but Edinson Cavani struck an all-important away goal for PSG just past the hour as the French champions all but ended the tie.
Barcelona had other ideas, however, and a late brace from Neymar levelled the tie at 5-5, before Sergi Roberto netted an incredible winner for the hosts in the fifth minute of added time.
Read how it all unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute live commentary of the action below.
Evening all! Sports Mole's live Champions League coverage continues from Camp Nou as Barcelona welcome Paris Saint-Germain for the second leg of their last-16 tie. PSG are currently in a commanding position after recording a 4-0 win when the two teams met in the first leg last month. Surely Barcelona cannot turn this tie around? Be sure to stay tuned for what could be a famous night of football!
No team has ever overturned a first-leg 4-0 defeat in a Champions League knockout tie. That particular scoreline has happened five times in the past, but no side has ever been able to turn it around. It looks an impossible task for the Spanish champions, but any team with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar as a front three stands half a chance. PSG, though, are a classy side themselves.
Tonight will be the 11th meeting between PSG and Barcelona in European competition. Barcelona lead the head-to-head four wins to PSG's three, while the remaining three fixtures between the two European giants have finished level. Their last meeting, before the first leg, came at the quarter-final stage of the 2014-15 campaign and it was the Spanish giants that triumphed 5-1 on aggregate.
Barcelona also knocked PSG out at the quarter-final stage of the 2012-13 season. Indeed, the only time that PSG have eliminated the Spanish giants in the Champions League was during the 1994-95 season, when they won 3-2 on aggregate at the quarter-final stage. Not many predicted PSG to win this two-legged tie, but they are in a fabulous position to advance following a brace from Angel di Maria and efforts from Julian Draxler and Edinson Cavani in Paris last month.
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Right, before we go any further, let me bring you up-to-speed with the all-important team news from Camp Nou. Both sides were in league action at the weekend – Barcelona thumping Celta Vigo 5-0 in La Liga, and PSG beating Nancy 1-0 at home. Any changes? Let's run through the two XIs tonight...
TEAMS!
BARCA: Ter Stegen; Mascherano, Pique, Umtiti; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta, Rafinha; Messi, Suarez, Neymar
PSG: Trapp; Meunier, Marquinhos, Silva, Kurzawa; Rabiot, Verratti, Matuidi; Lucas, Cavani, Draxler
Well, it is safe to say that Barcelona boss Luis Enrique has gone for an all-out attack here. There is no Jordi Alba or Sergi Roberto, with a 3-4-3 formation including Ivan Rakitic and Rafinha alongside Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets. Javier Mascherano is deemed fit to start after overcoming a groin problem, while Neymar, Luis Suarez and Messi continue up top as Barcelona chase at least four goals.
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As for PSG, Di Maria has not been deemed fit enough to start due to a muscular problem, which has opened up a spot in the final third for Brazilian Lucas Moura. Thiago Silva is also fit after missing the first leg with a calf problem, while Adrien Rabiot, Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi again start in midfield. Edinson Cavani, who has seven Champions League goals this season, leads the line.
So there we have it. The two teams are in and we are now just about 35 minutes from kickoff on this mild evening at Camp Nou. I shall speak about the away side a little bit later, but let's start with Barcelona, who are bidding to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for a record 10th season. After losing to Atletico Madrid in the last-eight stage last term, elimination in the round of 16 this campaign would be seen as a couple of disappointing seasons in the competition.
Barcelona breezed into the knockout round after topping Group C with 15 points – winning five of their six matches to finish six clear of Manchester City. As a result, the Spanish giants have reached the knockout stage of this competition in each of their last 15 attempts. They have also won their last 14 Champions League games on home soil, all since Luis Enrique took charge.
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Since losing at PSG, Barcelona have won all four of their league matches to top La Liga ahead of Real Madrid. They struggled past Leganes on February 19, but have been brilliant in their last three – winning 2-1 at Atletico Madrid, before thumping Sporting Gijon 6-1 and Celta Vigo 5-0 in this stadium.
Indeed, Barcelona's performance against Celta on Saturday night was arguably their finest of the season, and a repeat of that scoreline tonight would see them secure a remarkable turnaround. If the impossible is to be made possible, Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez need to all be in top form. At the weekend, Messi and Neymar ran the show as they showed signs of their best form.
Barcelona's 4-0 defeat in the first leg actually equalled their heaviest defeat in European competition after losing 7-0 on aggregate to German giants Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the 2012-13 campaign. The Spanish outfit have a strong record against French sides at Camp Nou, however, winning seven of their 10 previous meetings and only suffering one defeat.
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As for PSG, the French champions have gone past the last-16 stage in each of their previous four Champions League campaigns, but have always been knocked out in the quarter-finals. Unai Emery's side comfortably qualified for the knockout stage this season, but relinquished first position in Group A to Arsenal after a surprise 2-2 draw at home to Ludogorets in their final group-stage fixture.
Three wins and three draws saw PSG go through Group A unbeaten, but they drew both games against Arsenal, who topped the group and were drawn against Bayern Munich in the round of 16. PSG are still trying to make that next step in this competition and victory over Barcelona would certainly aid suggestions that the French giants are ready to seriously challenge for the crown.
PSG have won 12 of the 16 European ties where they won the first leg at home, including in last season's round of 16 against Chelsea. They have also won on four of their 12 visits to Spain in European competition and have a lot of room for mistakes when it comes to tonight's match. In truth, a team of this class should not be throwing away a four-goal advantage, even to Barcelona.
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PSG will enter this match off the back of a 1-0 win over Nancy at the weekend, with Edinson Cavani scoring the only goal of the match late on. Emery's side are not currently top of Ligue 1, however, with AS Monaco, who are 5-3 behind to Manchester City in their last-16 tie, still sitting top of the division.
Here we go then. Both sets of players have joined us on the pitch for the first period at Camp Nou. It must be said that there is a wonderful atmosphere inside the stadium. Can Barcelona turn around a four-goal deficit, or will PSG do a professional job on the Spanish giants? Stay tuned to find out.
KICKOFF! Barcelona kick things off at Camp Nou...
... Barcelona have scored four or more goals on 15 separate occasions this season, and that is the task facing them tonight. The problem, however, is that they are coming up against a very strong PSG outfit. As expected, Barcelona have taken control of the possession in the early moments here.
GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 PSG (Suarez)
Just what the doctor ordered! Barcelona lead on the night inside three minutes as Luis Suarez heads home from close range after some terrible defending inside the PSG box. A high ball was not cleared by the visitors and Luis Suarez was on hand to flick his header past the isolated Trapp!
BOOKING! Matuidi (PSG) is booked for a late challenge on Umtiti.
PSG are just about surviving at the moment as Barcelona continue to flood numbers forward in search of a second goal on the night. I still fancy PSG to score at some point tonight, but this has been the perfect start from the home side, who are absolutely full of it in the final third of the field.
Neymar wants a penalty after smashing a cross into the PSG box, but the referee is not interested and on second look, it was the right decision from the official. Neymar is back on the ball moments later, however, and Meunier is having a lot of problems controlling the Brazilian at the moment.
Half-chance for Mascherano as the ball falls for the Argentine outside the PSG box, but his effort was always wide of the post. PSG are really struggling to settle in these early minutes.
PENALTY SHOUT! Mascherano handles a Draxler cross inside the Barcelona box and PSG want a penalty, but the referee is not interested. It would have been a little bit harsh for me.
Much better from PSG in the last couple of minutes as they start to threaten the Barcelona goal. An away goal for the visitors tonight would leave Barcelona needing to score six times without reply.
BOOKING! Draxler (PSG) is booked for fouling Messi just outside the Barca box...
... Messi and Neymar are both standing over the Barcelona free kick.
Messi's effort whistles over the crossbar. Trapp had it covered.
We have not seen an awful lot from PSG in the opening 17 minutes of this match, but they now have a free kick in a decent position after Lucas is brought to the ground by the challenging Busquets.
Marquinhos goes up with Pique, but the PSG centre-back was in an offside position. Better from the visitors in the last few moments as they start to ask some questions of the Barcelona defence.
CLOSE! Neymar whistles a curling effort just wide of Trapp's post!
PSG are keeping Draxler and Lucas up the field with Cavani, and I am just finding it difficult to imagine the away side not scoring tonight. I expect Barcelona to win on the night, but they still have a lot of work to do to change this tie around. It is a fascinating game of football at Camp Nou.
Pass, pass, pass from Barcelona as they look to work the ball into the final third, but PSG are nice and compact at the moment, and are making it difficult for the Spanish champions to find that yard. Eventually Busquets attempts to force it, and PSG can resume the play from the dead-ball line.
BOOKING! Pique (Barcelona) is booked for a late tackle on Cavani.
It is like a training session at the moment as Barcelona continue to dominate the ball, with PSG sitting in and defending their lines. It is a classic attack versus defence situation, and it is up to Barcelona to find the goals tonight. The atmosphere remains absolutely electric at Camp Nou.
Barcelona have another free kick in a dangerous area as Kurzawa fells Rafinha...
... Messi's free kick is straight into the wall.
Iniesta hits one from distance, but his effort was always clearing the PSG crossbar. It is important that Barcelona do not force things and take shots from distance, which plays into PSG's hands.
Neymar is seeing plenty of the ball down that left, and the Brazilian has had some rough treatment in terms of challenges. Meunier again dives into the attacker and is a tough fortunate not to pick up a yellow card. Little under 15 minutes of the first period remaining and Barcelona still lead 1-0.
SAVE! Ter Stegen stands still to collect a long-range Lucas strike.
It was a poor start from PSG tonight, but they have managed to weather the storm and they would accept being 1-0 behind at the interval. A second for Barcelona in the latter stages of the first period, however, would paint a very different picture. It is still very delicately poised here.
Neymar is seemingly pulled to the ground inside the PSG box, but the referee is not interested. Again Meunier took a bit of a chance, although it would have been a soft award!
Half-chance for Luis Suarez, but his effort is straight at Trapp. It was sloppy work from Rabiot to concede possession in a dangerous position, but PSG managed to survive once again.
BARCELONA! Busquets (Barcelona) is booked for dissent.
Little over five minutes of the first period to play and PSG have managed to keep the score down to 1-0, which is no problem approaching the mid-point of the first leg. Barcelona would have wanted to build on that early Suarez goal, but the visitors have been nice and compact at the back.
Lucas has a problem for PSG after taking a knock in a challenge with Umtiti.
Lucas is back on his feet and should be fit to continue here.
GOAL! Barcelona 2-0 PSG (Kurzawa OG)
Good grief! Shocker! Barcelona have their second of the match as Iniesta keeps the ball alive inside the PSG box and Kurzawa turns into his own net after making contact with his own goalkeeper. It is a bizarre goal, but Barcelona have their second and that could be a massive moment in this tie.
BOOKING! Cavani (PSG) is booked for dissent.
Cavani just needs to be careful here after clashing with Mascherano, who will do his best to wind up the already-booked striker. Barcelona are seeking a third in the latter stages of the first period.
We are into the first of three additional minutes at the end of the first period.
PSG just cannot seem to keep the ball at the moment as Barcelona continue to force the issue late in the first period. This has been a really poor first half from the French champions.
PSG clear their lines and it does appear that 2-0 Barcelona will stand at the break.
HALF-TIME: Barcelona 2-0 PSG (PSG lead 4-2 on aggregate)
So there we have it. The referee brings the first period to a close with Barcelona leading 2-0 on the night courtesy of an early header from Luis Suarez and own-goal from Kurzawa five minutes before the break. PSG still lead 4-2 on aggregate, but the French champions are wobbling at Camp Nou!
STATISTICS! Barcelona have dominated the possession with 64%, while they have had seven attempts - two of which were on target. PSG, meanwhile, have only managed one effort on target. It has been a tasty game in terms of challenges, and the referee has had to issue a yellow card on five separate occasions - Matuidi (5 min), Draxler (14 min), Pique (23 min), Busquets (36 min) and Cavani (42 min).
BENCH WATCH! Barcelona have not exactly been short of attacking intent tonight, but Enrique does have the likes of Andre Gomes, Paco Alcacer and Arda Turan on his bench if the Spaniard wishes to freshen things up in the second period. PSG, meanwhile, have options in the shape of Ben Arfa, Di Maria and Pastore. I would be surprised if there were any changes at the break though.
RESTART! PSG resume the action at Camp Nou...
... no changes from either side at the break, which is not too much of a surprise. However, I suspect that both managers will already have alterations in mind for the second 45 minutes of action.
Draxler drives into the Barcelona box before poking the ball towards the bottom corner, but Rafinha manages to make contact and it goes behind for a PSG corner. The resulting set piece is delivered towards the near post and eventually comes for Draxler, but his effort is high and wide.
PENALTY BARCELONA!
The referee takes his time awarding a penalty, but after speaking with the official behind the goal, points to the spot! Meunier slips inside the penalty area and pulls Neymar to the deck!
GOAL! Barcelona 3-0 PSG (Messi, pen)
Messi sends his penalty past Trapp!
POST! Oh my word! Cavani hits the post from close range after making contact on a low cross from Meunier. So close to PSG finding the all-important away goal at Camp Nou!
Trapp collects a deep cross from Rafinha as PSG just look to survive in this match.
Neymar goes down in the box once again under pressure from Meunier, but the referee is not interested. That would have been very harsh and Neymar is fortunate to escape a yellow card.
PSG SUB! Di Maria replaces Lucas for the away side.
PSG commit five players forward on the counter-attack, but Di Maria cannot find the pass and Barcelona break down the other end once again. Messi tries to dance into the PSG box, but there are enough white shirts around to make the clearance. What an incredible game of football!
Little over 30 minutes of normal time remaining at Camp Nou, and Barcelona only need one goal to level the tie, which is just incredible. PSG really need to find something on the counter-attack.
The ball bounces around inside the Barcelona box as Cavani smashes a low cross towards Matuidi, but Barcelona survive what was a dangerous moment. Just one goal for the visitors could kill this tie.
BOOKING! Rakitic (Barcelona) is booked for a foul on Draxler.
GOAL! Barcelona 3-1 PSG (Cavani)
And there is the away goal! PSG make it 3-1 on the night as Cavani smashes the ball into the top corner after a smart header from Kurzawa. It is a wonderful finish from the striker!
SAVE! Ter Stegen keeps out Cavani after the striker had broken into a one-on-one situation! That just about keeps Barcelona in the tie here!
BOOKING! Neymar (Barcelona) is booked for a foul on Marquinhos.
BARCELONA SUB! Turan replaces Iniesta for Barcelona.
OFF-THE-LINE! Marquinhos clears off the line after Turan had sent one towards the bottom corner! It is all happening with 66 minutes on the clock at Camp Nou.
BOOKING! Suarez (Barcelona) is booked for diving in the PSG box.
Little over 20 minutes of this last-16 second leg remaining and Barcelona need to score three times in order to advance to the quarter-finals. That away goal from Cavani was absolutely massive.
Trapp drops to the ground to keep out a long-range strike from Neymar.
CLOSE! Messi sends a low effort wide of the post after breaking into the PSG box!
PSG SUB! Aurier replaces Draxler for PSG.
BARCELONA SUB! Roberto replaces Rafinha for the home side.
Little over 10 minutes of the second period remaining and Barcelona need three goals in order to advance to the quarter-finals. There is not too much happening at the moment, however, and PSG are taking their time when they have the chance. Whistles around the stadium here.
Di Maria wants a penalty for a Pique handball, but the referee is not interested and play continues. You still get the feeling that there might be another goal in the latter stages of this game.
Barcelona continue to enjoy possession in the final third of the field, but PSG are clearing their lines time after time and the French champions are close to having a quarter-final spot confirmed.
Just that little edge is missing for Barcelona at the moment as PSG continue to sit deep and absorb the pressure. Cavani's away goal is going to take the French side into the quarter-finals.
BARCELONA SUB! Andre Gomes replaces Rakitic.
CHANCE! Stunning chance for Di Maria to score a second for PSG after breaking into the Barcelona box, but the Argentine gets it all wrong and scoops wide of the post!
Di Maria fells Neymar and Barcelona have another free kick outside the PSG box...
GOAL! Barcelona 4-1 PSG (Neymar)
Sensational from Neymar as the Brazilian picks out the top corner with a super free kick!
PENALTY BARCELONA!
BOOKING! Marquinhos (PSG) is booked for fouling Suarez in the box!
GOAL! Barcelona 5-1 PSG (Neymar, pen)
Incredible! Neymar scores from the spot and Barcelona need one more!
What a sensational game, and Barcelona still have time for one more!
We are into the second of five additional minutes here!
Pique nods the ball into the arms of Trapp!
PSG SUB! Krychowiak replaces Meunier for the away side.
BOOKING! Verratti (PSG) is booked for a foul on Messi.
Free-kick Barcelona!
Super header from Matuidi clears PSG's lines!
Ter Stegen is forward for Barcelona and this might be their last chance.
GOAL! Barcelona 6-1 PSG (Roberto)
OH MY WORD!
This is quite incredible. Barcelona have their sixth as Roberto converts a chipped pass from Neymar! The Spanish giants are heading into the quarter-finals in quite incredible fashion.
It is just ridiculous. I am not sure what to say, but it is utter heartbreak for PSG.
FULL-TIME: Barcelona 6-1 PSG
Oh my word. It is just crazy. Barcelona were out when PSG scored an away goal, but the Spanish champions have scored six times tonight to book their spot in the quarter-finals. It is one of the most incredible stories in Champions League history. Absolutely crazy stuff tonight!
Thanks for joining Sports Mole for the action and be sure to look out for the match report, which will be live in the next 15, 20 minutes. Incredible action from Barcelona!
Written by
Matt Law
Matt Law
