Paris Saint-Germain defender David Luiz made two critical errors that led to two goals for Barcelona striker Luis Suarez. (Getty)
Final Score
Paris Saint-Germain 0-1–1
Barcelona 1-2–3
Luis Suarez scored twice to lead Barcelona to a 3-1 road victory against PSG.
Neymar opened the scoring in the 18th minute for Barcelona and opened the lead to 3-0 through the two strikes from the Uruguayan striker Suarez.
PSG got a goal back in the 82nd minute through a Gregory Van Der Wiel strike off of Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu.
PSG will travel to Barcelona on April 21st, 2015 for the second leg of the quarterfinal matchup.
Here are the highlights:
Lionel Messi Had a Chance For Barcelona in The 14th Minute
Lionel Messi sends a shot to the near corner, but it is saved by Salvatore Sirigu of Paris Saint-Germain.
Neymar Scored For Barcelona in The 18th Minute
Neymar slots a shot past Salvatore Sirigu through passes from Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi.
Luis Suarez Scored For Barcelona in The 65th Minute
Luis Suarez pushes past David Luiz and Maxwell to give Barcelona a 2-0 lead.
Luis Suarez Scored For Barcelona in The 79th Minute
Luis Suarez blows past David Luiz to score his second goal of the game to give Barcelona a 3-0 lead
Gregory Van Der Wiel Scored For PSG in The 82nd Minute
Gregory Van Der Wiel scores a goal through help from Barcelona midfielder Jeremy Mathieu.
Stats
Goal: Barcelona- Neymar (18′), Suarez (65′, 79′); PSG- (Van Der Wiel 82′)
Shots (on goal): Barcelona- 11 (6); PSG- 8 (4)
Possession: Barcelona- 66%; PSG- 34%
Fouls: Barcelona- 12; PSG- 10
Tackles: Barcelona- 25; PSG- 13
Yellow cards: Barcelona- Pique (32′), Messi (54′) ; PSG- Cabaye (37′)
Lineups
PSG: Sirigu; Maxwell, Silva (Luiz 21′), Marquinhos, van der Wiel; Cabaye; Matuidi, Rabiot (Moura 65′); Pastore, Cavani, Lavezzi.
PSG Reserves: Douchez, Camara, Digne, Luiz, Kimpembe, Moura, Bahebeck
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Montoya, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic (Mathieu 74′), Iniesta (Xavi 52′); Messi, Suarez, Neymar
Barcelona Reserves: Bravo, Bartra, Adriano, Mathieu, Xavi, Rafinha, Pedro
Preview
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique celebrates with teammates Luis Suarez and Jeremy Mathieu after the team’s win over Manchester City at Camp Nou on March 18, 2015 in Barcelona, Spain. (Getty)
As is the case with their rivals for the evening, Barcelona sits atop their domestic table and looks to find equal success in Europe. Previous to their dispatching of Manchester City in the Round of 16, Barcelona had finished atop their group standings, beating Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 on December 10th, 2014 on the way to the top, and has only one loss in the Champions League this season, a 3-2 win for Paris Saint-Germain in their first matchup on September 30th, 2014. Lionel Messi sits tied for second in Champions League goals with eight in this campaign. Barcelona is fresh off of dropping points in La Liga for the first time since February 25th, 2015, as they squandered a 2-0 lead to draw against Sevilla 2-2 on April 11th, 2015. Barcelona defeated Paris Saint-Germain in this same round during the 2012-2013 Champions League.
The aforementioned loss in the 2012-2013 Champions League still stings for Paris Saint-Germain, as the teams tied on aggregiate but Barcelona won on away goals with a late strike by Pedro in the second leg, and the French leaders look for revenge. PSG inched past Chelsea in the Round of 16 and look to make their first Champions League semi-final apperance. PSG is fresh off of a French Cup title, beating Bastia 4-0 on April 11th, 2015, and know that they can beat the Spanish giants at home, as they accomplished that feat earlier this Champions League season. Edinson Cavani sits tied for third in goals in the competition with six.