Dec 10, 2014.. Barcelona v Paris St G. Barcelona 3. Messi 19′ Neymar 41′ Suárez 77′. Paris St G 1. Ibrahimovic 15′. FT 90 +3; HT 2-1. Barcelona ..
Dec 10, 2014.. Barca v PSG FC, Champions League - Latest score, news updates, live Group F match report and result from the Nou Camp on Dec 10, 2014 ..
Dec 10, 2014.. On a night when Paris Saint-Germain looked like the real deal, it was Barcelona's attacking trio who shone brightest of all, writes Dermot ..
Who would you rather have in your five-a-side team: Messi or Ibrahimovic? Who would you rather have round for dinner: Messi or Ibrahimovic? Who would you rather be: Messi or Ibrahimovic? Email ben.bloom@telegraph.co.uk or tweet @benbloomsport your thoughts Barcelona 3-1 Paris Saint-Germain 21.50 Well that's about all from me. And that's about all for the 2014-15 Champions League group stage. On the biggest stage you don't get a bigger four scorers than the quartet we had tonight. Some spectacular football at times and it is Barcelona who come out on top. Thanks for joining me. Cheerio. 21.46 An absolute belter of a first half rather fell away slightly in the second period as PSG failed to break down the Barcelona defence. Having said that the French side certainly had their chances and will rue their profligacy in front of goal. Full time And there we have it. Barcelona advance as Group F winners and Paris Saint-Germain go through in second place. Oh look, Ajax won. 90+1 min PSG have a free-kick 25 yards out and Ibra has a chance to grab a consolation goal. He elects for power over precision and the ball pings off his boot and over the bar. 90 min Two minutes of added time to be played and then the Barcelona procession will be complete. 89 min All Messi needs is an inch. Thiago Silva looks to have the Argentine where he wants him in front of goal but Messi simply shifts the ball half a metre and - BANG. Fortunately for the Frenchies it flies inches wide of the post. 88 min PSG are throwing players forward in a forlorn attempt ot get something out of this game but Barcelona are merely enjoying the extra space they are finding. The unbeaten record looks to be coming to an end. 82 min Cometh the time for a goal, cometh... David Luiz. Ah. That shot shows why he's a centre-back as his long-range effort fails a mile over the bar. 78 min Ibrahimovic, Messi, Neymar, Suarez - has there ever been a more expensive scoresheet in the history of football? GOAL! Barcelona 3-1 Paris Saint-Germain (Suarez, 76) One for Messi, one for Neymar and now one for Suarez. It's a classic Barcelona move that sees Messi give the ball to Xavi, give the ball to Neymar whose shot is parried away only as far as Suarez and the former Liverpool man only has to tap it in from five yards out. 75 min PSG make another change as well with Lavezzi on for Matuidi. But the Argentine has forgotten to take off his jewellery so play is held up for 20 seconds. Call me old-fashioned but what the *********** is he wearing that stuff for when he sitting on the bench at the Nou Camp??? Just crazy. 73 min Team captain Iniesta passes the armband to club captain Xavi who replaces him for the closing stages. 72 min It's a bit of a stalemate at the moment with PSG unable to break down their opponents and Barcelona content with the lead that they have. Hair: 70 min Ouch. Mascherano leathers straight at Matuidi's face from about three yards and then runs away sheepishly as the Frenchman falls to the ground holding his mouth. That had to hurt. 67 min Barcelona make their first switch of the game with Pedro off for Rakitic. Don't ask me what that means for Barca's formation, I haven't the foggiest. 66 min It's gone quiet. 64 min Just realised we've gone about 10 minutes without any sort of Barcelona attack. 62 min Delightful football from PSG sees the French side sweep forward before the ball falls at left-back Maxwell's feet 15 yards out. Maxwell responds by tumbling to the floor and barely connecting with his attempted shot. Leave the shooting to Ibrahimovic, Cavani and the experts I reckon. Verratti heads off to be replaced by Pastore. 57 min Cavani picks up the first yellow card of the night for hauling down Neymar. 55 min Suarez has the ball in the net but the whistle has gone for handball and referee Martin Atkinson is correct. No complaint from the Uruguayan. 54 min It's suddenly turned to Sunday League out there! Lucas breezes past Mathieu down the right and pokes the ball at goal only for Ter Stegen to fumble it away. There begins some farcical scenes as four players from each side fling themselves at the ball with a complete lack of finesse before Bartra hurls himself in the way of Matuidi's shot. 52 min Do not let Messi have that much space. The Argentine picks the ball up just inside the PSG half and has acres to run into. He eventually suckers in the defence, passes to Pedro (who is playing so high up the pitch) but the Spaniard's cross/shot is terrible. A bit let off for the French side. 49 min PSG have a corner. There haven't been too many of those today. Ibra rises highest to meet it (while climbing all over Mathieu in the process) but the Swede only succeeds in heading wide. 46 min Here we go again. As things stand Barcelona are going through as group winners. One PSG goal would see the French side top the group though. 20.47 The tunnel camera has just shown Messi and Ibrahimovic enjoying a right old chuckle together. And people say they don't like each other... 20.46 Cameras are great: Half time I'm going to level with you: I've really enjoyed the last 45 minutes. As I may have mentioned about 300 times, the skill levels on show are incredibly high. With Barcelona's defence you cannot write off a PSG comeback either. Football doesn't get much better. 45+1 min Pique's heading has been very poor tonight. Heard the one about the 50p head recently? 45 min There will be one minute added time. Don't let it end. 43 min I think our Telegraph Sport social media editor is about to combust: GOAL! Barcelona 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain (Neymar, 41) The crowd go wild and why not - it's an absolute pearler. Neymar picks the ball up about 40 yards out, advances another 15 yards, looks up and curls his shot past Sirigu to perfection. The standard of football in the Nou Camp is so high. 40 min It's little wonder Barcelona are (arguably) the most popular side in the world when they can play one-touch football like they have just done. An undefendable move sees the ball worked from left to right in the blink of an eye before Suarez's snap shot is punched away by Sirigu. 38 min The skill level in this game is so high there little justice I can do by trying to describe it. But I suppose that is my job isn't it? Suarez, Neymar and Messi just seem to take it in turns to run at the defence and show what their latest trick is. PSG then pick up the ball and Verratti shows he can perform stepovers with the best of them. Lovely stuff. 36 min Ajax v Apoel Nicosia (the other irrelevant match in Group F) is 0-0. Which is no surprise to anyone at all. Happy Ibrahimovic not looking very happy: 32 min All the while Messi pulling off tricks left, right and centre without getting the chance to trouble Sirigu again. You get the sense there are goals at both ends in this. 31 min Someone wake up the Barcelona defenders. They are all over the place. Ibra gets in behind them down the right, looks up, pings the ball across the box to Cavani who volleys towards the bottom corner where Ter Stegen gets down neatly. 30 min A humongous miss from Lucas! The Parisians should be ahead again. Ibrahimovic does well to win back possession high up the pitch which allows Matuidi to deliver a great ball into the six-yard box. Lucas is arriving at pace but he can't quite direct his effort on target and it's a big let off for a Barcelona defence that was sleeping again. 28 min Cavani just touched the ball. I haven't mentioned him so far. 27 min Barcelona have had 64 per cent possession so far which is to be expected. The question is whether PSG can pick them off on the break. 24 min What a tackle. Veratti times his slide to absolute perfection just as Messi is about to unleash hell on the PSG goal having carried the ball all of 40 yards into the penalty area. The Argentine is looking dangerous when given some space to work his magic. At the other end Mathieu appears all at sea on the left side of the Barca back three. GOAL! Barcelona 1-1 Paris Saint-Germain (Messi, 18) Haha. Ibra does his thing so Messi replies by doing his almost straight away. Mascherano is the creator with a delightful dinked throughball over the top of the PSG defence to Suarez. The forward with a penchant for biting squares on the volley with his left foot and there is no surprise to see Messi storming into the six-yard box to finish it off. Easy for Messi. A cracking goal. 17 min The Parisians had produced nothing of note up until the goal but it was all far, far too easy for a striker of Ibra's quality. GOAL! Barcelona 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain (Ibrahimovic, 16) Well it had to be him didn't it. The defending is appalling though. Lucas squares the ball into Matuidi who has his back to goal six yards out. The Frenchman knocks the ball to Ibrahimovic, who is totally unmarked a couple of yards away, and the former Barca man hits it first time to give Ter Stegen no chance. 14 min Neymar is in a bit of trouble. First he received a heel to the leg and now he tries to turn, slips and overstretches. Limpy limpy limpet. I concur that Zlatan does appear to have more fun than Messi. 10 min PSG fans have not had much to get excited about in these opening exchanges but Lucas has them cheering with a sumptuous turn on the halfway line to launch a counter-attack which eventually comes to nothing. Is Neymar limping? 8 min Unsurprisingly Pedro is operating as one of the most attacking wing-backs of all time. Which is allowing Barcelona to attack with plenty of numbers supporting Messi, Suarez, Neymar and co. 6 min This match has started at a snail's pace. Barcelona are walking the ball around the pitch and PSG are doing nothing more than stick 10 men behind the ball and watch. 5 min Thankfully Pique has taken his medieval helmet off to play. 4 min ...Messi has a crack but the ball is always rising and Sirigu is able to watch it over his crossbar. 3 min It's almost 100 per cent Barca possession in the opening stages and the home side have won a free-kick in a tasty position as Pedro is brought down just outside the penalty area on the right. Step up Lionel Messi... 1 min Football is go. PSG get us underway and from the outset it looks as though Mathieu, Mascherano and Pique are playing as a back three with Iniesta and Pedro wing-backs. 19.45 An emotional moment for lino Darren Cann who is officiating his last ever Champions League match tonight. Give it up for Dazza everyone. 19.43 There's the Champions League music. Get ready, get set, Gazprom. 19.32 You want stats and facts? I've got more stats and facts than you could shake a stick at: - PSG coach Laurent Blanc and PSG players Thiago Motta, Maxwell and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have all played for Barcelona. - Barcelona have topped their Champions League group every season since 2006/07. - Barcelona have lost just one of their last 29 Champions League home matches And the big one: - PSG are the only team from Europe's top five domestic leagues yet to suffer a defeat in all competitions this season. 19.21 What ON EARTH in Gerard Pique wearing tonight? Looks familiar though doesn't it? 19.08 We have our first email thanks to the John McEnerney. Hi Ben, Zlatan every time can't imagine Leo would be any craic at a dinner party. Zlatan has character & Messi has none! The suspect FCB defence could be in for a torrid night with Cavani & Zlatan running at them & with Silva playing the FCB front 3 will have to be on top form to break the PSG rearguard (Luiz the weak link)! This should be a close one with the visitors to win it. Remember this isn't Peps Barca & PSG are chomping at the bit for the CL with Zlatan & Silva never having won it which is a shame for 2 top top players! Enjoy it Ben You enjoy it too John. Savour every drop. 19.04 Aside from the somewhat strange Pedro decision Barcelona are undoubtedly the favourites going into this match. But should they be? You may remember that PSG are the only side to have beaten them in the Champions League this season after their 3-2 win in Paris a few months ago. In fact Barcelona have never beaten PSG in the Champions League. I repeat: they have NEVER beaten them in the Champions League. EVER. 18.50 Well it appears I may have been mistaken about the Barcelona formation. The official teamsheet has Pedro at a regular right-back position alongside Pique, Barta and Mathieu. Mascherano is down to play in central midfield. 18.48 Here is the PSG posse: Van der Wiel, Silva, Luiz, Maxwell, Motta, Matuidi, Verratti, Moura, Cavani, Ibrahimovic. Subs: Douchez, Cabaye, Marquinhos, Digne, Lavezzi, Rabiot, Pastore 18.42 Lots of discussion on social networks and in Telegraph Towers about what formation Barcelona will play. Apparently they have announced their team with Pedro at wing-back in a 5-3-2 formation. Talk about attacking... 18.35 We have some early team news. Here are your Barcelona boys: Ter Stegen, Mathieu, Pique, Bartra, Pedro, Busquets, Mascherano, Iniesta, Suarez, Messi, Neymar. Subs: Claudio Bravo, Xavi, Rakitic, Adriano, Jordi Alba, Sergi Roberto, Munir 18.30 Hi everyone. Excited? This should be a cracker because the equation is a simple one: whoever wins the match wins the group. PSG currently top Group F with 13 points, one ahead of their Spanish rivals. A draw will of course be enough for the Frenchies/Qataris to go through as group winners, while Barcelona must win. For housekeeping purposes I should inform you that Ajax and Apoel Nicosia are also in Group F although their impact has been borderline zero. Neither side has won a game and they have managed just five goals between them. Thanks for coming. 17.15 Hello. Ben Bloom will be here from around 6.45pm will all the pre-match build-up and action from the Nou Camp. There is plenty at stake tonight: winning the football match in question, topping Group F, Zlatan Ibrahimovic's quest to stick it to his former employers, Lionel Messi's mission to score in every match ever... So do get in touch with all/any of your thoughts and have a read of our match preview HERE.
Barca overcome an early Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal to defeat PSG 3-1 and top them in Group F. BARCELONA -- Three things learned from Barcelona's 3-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in Wednesday night's final Champions League Group F game at the Camp Nou. This had the feel of a big Champions League night, between two potential challengers for the trophy, with each side full of big names and big personalities. The first to show was Zlatan Ibrahimovic, back at the Camp Nou where he had an ultimately unhappy 2009-10 season. Just a few minutes in, Ibrahimovic was whistled by the home fans as he skipped away from Javier Mascherano down the left wing. Such things have never bothered the huge Sweden international -- and he silenced the stadium on the quarter-hour mark by opening the scoring with a crisp, low, left-footed drive. Next into the spotlight was blaugrana talisman Lionel Messi, just four minutes later. Messi had been quiet through the opening stages, often coming way back to the centre circle to look for the ball, but he was in the right place at just the right time to equalise. Luis Suarez's bundled cross-shot bounced through the 6-yard box, where Messi hammered the leveler into the net from close range and a tight angle at the back post. Neymar scored the second of Barcelona's three goals, all of which came from their trio of South American attackers. Neymar might have felt a bit peripheral, as he spent most of the first half running the left touchline, as part of Luis Enrique's surprise tactical plan for the game. But as if eager to get involved, he drifted infield just before halftime, picking up Andres Iniesta's short pass and accelerating forward before striking a low, 25-yard drive to the far-bottom corner with his right foot. The next superstar took longer to appear. Suarez had racked up another assist on Messi's goal, but his frustration appeared to be building as his wait for a Camp Nou goal dragged on. PSG keeper Salvatore Sirigu did well to parry a first-half effort, but the 80 million euro man had hit his shot centrally when free near the penalty spot. It seemed the weight had been lifted midway through the second half when Suarez crashed the ball to the net from the edge of the box, but referee Martin Atkinson had seen a handball in the buildup. Then, with 13 minutes remaining, Sirigu parried Neymar's low curler and Suarez was on hand to gleefully tap home from just 4 yards. The Uruguayan deserved the ball falling his way, however, as he'd also been involved earlier in a sweeping Barca move, and picked himself quickly up off the ground to be on hand to score. "Suarez, Suarez," chorused the Camp Nou fans, who had finally seen all three of their big-name South American strike force score in the same game. 2. Luis Enrique's tactical tinkering The night's first shock came an hour before kickoff with Barcelona's team sheet. Only the chain-mail jumper worn by Gerard Pique on his arrival at the stadium generated more pregame debate than blaugrana coach Luis Enrique's starting XI, which appeared to include Pedro Rodriguez at right-back, and had four candidates to play centre-half. Even UEFA seemed confused, printing two different formations on the team sheets circulating in the Camp Nou press box. The best guess as the first half unfolded was that Barca were playing a 3-2-4-1 formation, with Sergio Busquets and Mascherano in holding midfield, Neymar and Pedro hugging the touchlines, Suarez as centre forward, and Messi dropping deep to link with Andres Iniesta in central areas. Whatever the formation, Barca had lots of the ball -- as they always do -- but not too many chances through the early stages. Messi was often very deep. Suarez roamed out to the right wing. Things were not quite clicking up front. Enrique was very active on the edge of his technical area, directing players into position, but it was still far from clear his team knew what their roles were. Meanwhile, at the other end, Barca had three centre-backs, but their defending was not good. Nobody picked up the towering Ibrahimovic as he was free inside the penalty area to score the opener. That was not an isolated incident in the first half. Lucas Moura knocked wide of a gaping net from 6 yards with the score at 1-1. Ibrahimovic cantered clear again soon afterward, and picked out Edinson Cavani, whose weak volley was straight at Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Early in the second half Lucas scrambled through seemingly each member of Barca's back line, only for Marc Bartra to finally hack the ball clear. Enrique's first change was to remove Pedro and send on Ivan Rakitic. That meant another shuffle, with Messi now more out on the right wing, and a more traditional 4-3-3 shape with the aim of seeing out the game and the win. And it worked. Suarez soon netted the third and Barca were able to cruise home. On balance, though, this new formation still needs some more work. 3. PSG challengers? Enrique talked up his opponents pregame as potential challengers for the competition, and PSG have impressed into knockout rounds in recent years -- going out pretty unfortunately on away goals to Barca and Chelsea. They deserved to win these teams' first meeting and looked a top-level European team here, going toe to toe with Barcelona as few teams in Europe can. Especially for the first 60 minutes, Marco Verratti was skillful in midfield, Ibrahimovic was gliding around up front, Thiago Silva looking solid at back and Blaise Matuidi breaking forward from midfield with menace. Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave PSG an early lead upon his return to the Camp Nou. But the visitors were let down by some lapses in key moments. Their defending for Barca's first two goals was not brilliant, and they should really have capitalised better on the Catalans' issues at the back. Finishing second in the group means potential games with heavyweights Real Madrid, Chelsea or Bayern Munich in the last 16. There's no shame in being beaten to top spot by Barcelona, who have now won their Champions League group in each of the last seven seasons -- a record. And the Catalan side had three global superstars who all shone Wednesday night, while PSG had just one -- who faded out of the game in the second half. That difference in real top quality could again make the difference later in the competition. Dermot Corrigan is a Madrid-based football writer who covers La Liga and the Spain national team for ESPN FC. Twitter @dermotmcorrigan.
Dec 9, 2014.. We have all the latest news on Barça's clash with the French side that will decide who tops Group F.
Dec 10, 2014.. Barcelona avenged their September defeat in the French capital by beating Paris St Germain 3-1 at Camp Nou to claim top spot in Champions ..
