Barcelona’s thrilling 3-2 win against Paris Saint-Germain has put them in a strong position to reach the Champions League semi-finals, with the outcome to be determined in next week’s second leg at Estadi Olimpic in Montjuic.
Xavi Hernandez’s strategic decisions played a key role in securing the victory, with substitutes Pedri assisting and Andreas Christensen scoring the decisive goal.
PSG coach Luis Enrique received criticism from French football pundit Jonathan Johnson (as reported by CaughtOffside) for his tactical choices during the match.
Johnson highlighted several questionable decisions by Enrique, such as placing Lucas Hernandez on the right side of central defense, a position he is not accustomed to.
Shifting Hernandez to right-back in the second half further destabilized PSG’s defense, with Marquinhos moved to the center.
The decision to leave out Warren Zaire-Emery from the starting lineup was considered a misstep, and positioning Ousmane Dembele on the wing instead of his preferred central role was also seen as a questionable choice.
One of the most baffling decisions, according to Johnson, was deploying Marco Asensio as a false-nine, a strategy that did not work and led to his substitution at halftime.
This tactical uncertainty contributed to a lackluster performance from Kylian Mbappe, marking one of his weakest showings of the season.
Despite some positive moments, including a goal from Vitinha, PSG faces a tough challenge as they head to the Nou Camp for the second leg.
Barcelona’s strong performance has put them in control, and avoiding defeat on Tuesday would secure their spot in the Champions League semi-finals, where they would face the winner of the Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund tie.
Enrique will have a chance to address the team’s shortcomings in the return leg, but Barcelona’s dominant position highlights their strength heading into the crucial match.
While PSG still believes in a comeback, Enrique will need to address significant issues to overturn the deficit and keep their Champions League hopes alive.
