PSG 4 Barcelona 2: Are you not entertained? PSG are different gravy, and Barca have work to do

What a brilliant game of football that was!

Two teams who love taking risks, playing brave football and entertaining the fans. Six goals, 40 attempts on goal, individual brilliance and some breathtaking football. A proper Champions League night.

PSG are the champions of Europe, having won the last two editions, while Hansi Flick's Barcelona are desperate to get their hands on the trophy.

But if this match taught us anything, it is that Barcelona still have quite a few steps to climb before reaching PSG's level.

It is simply a reflection of how good Luis Enrique's team have become.

What makes this PSG side so special?

They have technicians all over the pitch, but those technicians are also incredible workers.

Joao Neves, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz are the engine of this team. They control the midfield, dictate the tempo and never stop running.

Achraf Hakimi? I genuinely believe the man has two engines. He just never stops. And technically he is a full back but you can see him everywhere.

Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are brilliant attacking talents, but watch how much defensive work they put in. They run for their teammates, press relentlessly and never shy away from their responsibilities.

That is what separates this PSG side from many other talented teams.

They suffocate opponents with their pressing, control games through their technical quality and can hurt you in so many different ways.

Yes, they will give you chances because of the risks they take. But they rarely panic. They just continue playing the football they believe in.

And their movement, positional rotations and understanding of each other are incredible.

Barcelona started without Rodri in midfield, and it showed.

Pedri was trying to do a rescue job almost singlehandedly in the first half. His partner Marc Bernal struggled to impose himself against PSG's midfield trio.

Rodri eventually came on after the break and Barca started to get dominate at that period.

Ousmane Dembele's injury after just 20 minutes could have disrupted PSG, but Ferran Torres came on and immediately started causing problems against his former club.

He could easily have scored a hat trick, perhaps even four goals, considering the opportunities he had. And that is exactly Ferran's problem. Yes, he is PSG's top scorer this season and scored the winning goal in the World Cup final, but he is still not clinical enough in front of goal.

But Joan Garcia was outstanding.

The Barcelona goalkeeper produced several brilliant saves and was probably the biggest reason his team went into half time trailing by only one goal.

Eventually, Desire Doue broke the deadlock in the 38th minute after Lamine Yamal was careless in possession in Barcelona's defensive third. Joao Neves intercepted the pass, and Doue punished the mistake with a lovely finish.

That is what elite teams do.

Without Joan Garcia, Barcelona could have been out of the contest long before half time.

Credit to Flick's team. They improved after the break.

Young right back Xavi Espart equalised with a lovely finish in the 55th minute, and Barcelona enjoyed a spell of dominance.

For a while, PSG looked vulnerable.

But that is another quality of this Parisian side. They can absorb pressure and respond without abandoning their approach.

Ferran Torres then struck the post from close range before Lucas Hernandez restored PSG's lead with a powerful header from the resulting corner.

Interestingly, it was Hernandez's first goal since February 2024, ending a wait of more than two and a half years.

Barcelona were not finished.

Lamine Yamal produced a beautiful finish to make it 2-2, taking advantage of Warren Zaire Emery, who had replaced Hernandez at left back.

An exquisite finish from an extraordinary talent. That was poor defending from the French man. Lamine wasn't having a great night until then.

But what was PSG's response?

Vitinha scored an absolute banger just two minutes later.

And then Fabian Ruiz, who had been magnificent throughout the evening, completed the scoring with a simple finish following Hakimi's contribution.

What a footballer Fabian Ruiz is, by the way. One of the most underrated midfielders in world football, in my opinion.

The final score was 4-2, but without Joan Garcia, it could have been much worse for Barcelona. The goalkeeper made 10 saves in a match that produced 40 attempts on goal.

What I love most about this PSG side is their mentality.

They don't depend on one superstar. They play for each other.

They have players capable of producing moments of individual brilliance, but everything revolves around the team.

Luis Enrique has created something special.

Their pressing is relentless, their passing combinations are beautiful, and their positional rotations make them incredibly difficult to defend against.

They can score through intricate passing, counterattacks, individual brilliance, long range efforts and set pieces.

And remember, this PSG side are not even operating at full throttle yet.

Barcelona have some wonderful young players and a manager who believes in attacking football. They will improve. They came into this game having won every match this season, but facing the reigning European champions was always going to be a proper test.

And this game showed that talent alone is not enough to conquer Europe. You need the right mentality, discipline and the ability to handle pressure against the very best.

And Barcelona desperately need to sort out their defence. Their decision not to sign another top defender could come back to haunt them in this competition.

Of course, losing a Champions League league phase game at this stage of the season is not a big deal. But beating the reigning European champions would have been a real statement of intent.

Perhaps Barcelona also had one eye on El Clasico this weekend, and that is understandable. It is a long season, and there is still plenty of time to improve.

But if Barcelona want to conquer Europe, they have some serious work to do.

Anyway, PSG are different gravy.

And for those of us who love brave, attacking football, they are an absolute joy to watch.

What a team. What a game. What an advert for football!