Tactical Analysis: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Barcelona (H)

Throughout the 2016/17 footballing season, there were many interesting matches. Many of these go relatively unnoticed in the chaos of the schedule and are neglected in terms of the depth they deserve. In a Breaking The Lines exclusive feature, writer Ross Eaton (@boxtoboxcb) will be analysing a series of these intriguing football matches...

Meeting once again in the UEFA Champions League was Barcelona with what now appears to be France's 'biggest club': PSG. At the Stade de France this year however, the battle between the Frenchman and the Catalans came amidst more challenging than atypical domestic campaigns for both sides. Monaco and Real Madrid, both also remaining in the Champions League, may prove to be opponents both domestically and in Europe for whoever may progress. This first leg tie in Paris was sure to be imperative to the outcome of the fixture.

From a shape which varied between a 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3, PSG started with far more homegrown players than their typically big-spending approach complies with. Kevin Trapp was the GK. A relatively young back-four was made up of Meunier, Marquinhos, Kimpembe and Kurzawa. Marco Verratti and Adrien Rabiot played in a double-pivot. Blaine Matuidi, based slightly to the left, played in a hybrid midfield role with an average position slightly ahead of the deep pairing. Di Maria and Draxler played as the two wide based attackers, with Edinson Cavani the team's number 9.