Three Things Barcelona Can Learn From PSG Defeat Ahead of El Clasico

Barcelona’s Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday was blockbuster, appointment-viewing stuff. The kind of match usually reserved for the spring months rather than pre-Halloween.

It did not disappoint. There were six goals—several of extremely high quality—and a starting number of 10 Ballon d’Or nominees in the showdown between Europe’s two form teams.

Having a title-worthy game this early felt almost appropriate for Hansi Flick’s team who already boast an over 80% probability of winning La Liga, according to the calculations of Opta’s supercomputer, and can give themselves a nine-point lead over Real Madrid with a victory in El Clásico this weekend.

While Barça ultimately came out on the losing side against Luis Enrique’s defending champions, they can take lessons from the 4–2 defeat.

As manager Hansi Flick said: “We lost, but we learned... We have to learn. It’s October, and you don’t win titles in October; the Champions League is won in June.”

Trophies might not be won now, but the Clásico will be. Here are three key takeaways for Barcelona ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Real Madrid.

Xavi Espart Can Stop Yan Diomande

It’s been some breakthrough for 19-year-old Xavi Espart, the latest starlet from Barça’s class of 2007 to make a splash in the first team.

Trained as a midfielder, Espart has shone at left back for most of this season, before being thrown in at right back after injuries to both Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde, with the unenviable task of stopping Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

The youngster was not dribbled past once all night, even after Kvaratskhelia was replaced on the hour mark and Désiré Doué took up residence on his flank instead.

“How he defended tonight against the top players PSG have in attack ... just amazing,” Flick gushed postmatch.

With Yan Diomande likely to be lining up on the left for Real Madrid this weekend, Espart suddenly feels like the ideal candidate to deal with the Ivorian’s pace and trickery, while also exploiting the space left in behind the winger.

Espart was as good going forward as backward on Tuesday and showed his La Masia-stamped technical excellence with a fine equalizer early in the second half.

Rodri Is Essential to Control

It’s an obvious point to make, but without the world’s best midfield controller, Barcelona lacked... well, control against PSG.

Flick admitted prematch that the upcoming Clásico affected his team selection “a lot,” with Rodri ultimately only introduced after 60 minutes. Afterwards the manager insisted the decision to bench the World Cup-winning captain was “good for us and for him.”

Barça ultimately were made to pay the price for their team selection, with Pedri losing possession three times in the opening five minutes. By halftime PSG had managed 10 shots on target—the most against Barcelona in the Champions League since at least 2003–04, according to Opta.

Elite space-exploiters of Vitinha, João Neves and Fabián Ruiz were able to give the visitors the run around for much of the evening with supreme movement and passing. All three of PSG’s central midfielders ended the night with a goal or assist.

Madrid do not have the same caliber of midfield as PSG—in fact, the engine room balance remains a point of concern for José Mourinho since missing out on Rodri this summer. However, Tuesday’s match showed that even when Barça shade the possession, their midfield can be got at.

Lamine Yamal Over-Confidence

It was a game of two halves for Yamal, who scored another superb individual effort but was sloppy in possession leading up to PSG’s opener in the first half.

Yamal’s needlessly ambitious pass inside his own half was easily cut out by Neves, who found Doué, who found the goal.

As impressive as Barcelona’s winning run was at the start of this season, they did not face a team of real substance until meeting PSG. That Doué goal, as a result of Yamal’s complacency, was a reminder that, at the very highest level, silly mistakes will not go unpunished.

Yamal was uncharacteristically wasteful in the first half, but rallied after the break to remind the world (in case anyone had forgotten) why he is the Ballon d’Or second favorite, by scoring a superb goal from a tight angle after leaving Warren Zaïre-Emery for dead.

He is now the first player in Europe’s major leagues to reach 10 goals and 10 assists this season. Marc Cucurella and Madrid beware this weekend, but Barça will hope Yamal doesn’t need to endure a poor half to spark him into action first.