PSG vs. Barcelona: Score, Grades and Post-Match Reaction

An enthralling encounter between two of this season's Champions League contenders ended with Paris Saint-Germain defeating Barcelona 3-2 on Tuesday evening.   

David Luiz, Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi netted to give Laurent Blanc's men the three vital points, Spanish newspaper SPORT confirming the victory for the Ligue 1 champions:

This was a match PSG had no choice but to win if they were to hold any genuine hopes of topping Group F, and after drawing 1-1 with Ajax in their competition opener, a much-improved outfit came to play.

It took Luiz just 10 minutes to open the scoring against Luis Enrique's men, but as OptaJean confirms, Lionel Messi didn't need long to pull Barca back on level terms:

And just as those opening exchanges suggested, it was an open, end-to-end affair that the two produced, with Verratti getting on the end of a corner in the 26th minute to nod the hosts back in front. 

Blanc will have given his players the team talk of their lives as the score remained close at half-time, and Matuidi appeared to have been one of those soaking it in, Football Vines providing footage of his 54th-minute finish:

"

Matuidi makes it 3-1. No Zlatan, no PSG win they said. http://t.co/pdDltsxdyG

— Football Vines (@Vine_Football) September 30, 2014"

Without the services of an injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic, PSG may well have worried about where their goals would come from on the night, but Parc des Princes exploded as the hosts found that crucial third finish to find the two-goal cushion.

Once again it took the visiting outfit mere minutes to reply, Neymar clutching a ball out of the sky to loft his strike inside Salvatore Sirigu's left post and give Barca a lifeline.

Christophe Ena/Associated Press

That would be the end of the scoring, though, and despite threats from Messi and Munir El Haddadi, who thudded the frame with a long-range strike in the latter stages, PSG would emerge as victors.

The official Champions League Twitter account revealed a dominant trend in the French side's European exploits:

With that victory, PSG have some redemption for the fixture between this pair two seasons ago, where away goals proved decisive as Barcelona went past the Ligue 1 titans in the knockout stages.

But while the battle may be over, the war between these European bastions has only just begun, and new importance has been given to the return fixture on Dec. 10, now even more critical to Barca's hopes of Group F progression.

By that stage, both parties should be restrengthened as Thiago Silva looks to make his return from injury for PSG, while Luis Suarez will be available for Enrique's selection.

Grades

Thiago Motta: A

Michel Euler/Associated Press

Thiago Motta's resurgence this season continued with a controlling display against the Blaugrana, where Blanc's general dictated a heavy portion of all matters in midfield alongside goalscorers Matuidi and Verratti.

Possession wasn't always in favour of the hosts, but Motta was an obstacle Barca found difficult to evade, and no player registered more tackles than the Italian on the night.

Lionel Messi: A-

Christophe Ena/Associated Press

Messi was in no mood to hang around after Luiz's opener, and it took the Argentine little time to force his side back into the fixture, tying the scores at 1-1.

As Infostrada Sports notes, Enrique's talisman holds a terrifically prolific record in European competition:

As can only be expected of one boasting his talent, Messi was typically direct in taking the battle to his opposition, giving the likes of Neymar and Pedro a far easier time of things in playing the role of foundation up front.

David Luiz: A-

Luiz will have taken Tuesday's opener with some pride after a summer in which he may have ended up heading for Camp Nou instead of Parc des Princes.

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

As has been the case for much of his career, the centre-back showed attack to perhaps be a forte of his before defending, and it was unfair to leave Marquinhos with a brunt of the work to do at the back on occasion.

All in all, though, Blanc will be happy with his £50 million signing in not only adding to the scoreline himself, but also largely keeping the opponent's attack at bay, an outing of mixed results.

Post-Match Reaction

Michel Euler/Associated Press

In the wake of this result, Enrique will know that despite Barca's strong start to the season, nothing is assured, and a loss in Paris serves as something of a wake-up call in what was otherwise a dream run so far.

The Spaniard heaped praise on PSG for their victory, most notably hailing their depth in being able to account for substantial losses among their ranks, per Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC:

And in being humbled by his French opponents, Enrique insisted the share of blame is to be decided with him first, and that none of his stars in particular are to held responsible for the loss:

From here, improving tactically will be among the highest priorities for the Barca boss, as many would agree his squad should be at least on level footing with PSG's following a busy summer.

Having gone through some uncertainty at Parc des Princes, Blanc will have been happy to come away with the three points, and his role with the Ligue 1 giants gains a new sense of security as a result.

All statistics come courtesy of WhoScored.com.