Suarez, Neymar and Messi Start to Realise Their Power as Barcelona Beat PSG

BARCELONA, SPAIN — Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez. The four best players on the pitch, on paper, were the four players on the scoresheet. Unfortunately for Paris Saint-Germain, three of them were playing for the other side.

Barcelona have invested heavily in their forward line in both of the previous summers, spending big on Neymar in 2013 and then again on Suarez in 2014.

It took the Brazilian a year to adjust to his new surroundings in Catalunya, playing for a side considerably bigger than Santos, the one he came from.

But it's paying off this year; Neymar has been in quite spectacular form and, to match, scored a brilliant goal against PSG.

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

He took the ball out of his feet, strode forward confidently and then lashed it into the top-right corner of Salvatore Sirigu's net.

Suarez still needs time to adapt, but you would imagine he'll do it quicker than Neymar. He scored his first goal at the Camp Nou to round off Barcelona's win, knocking the ball home at the back post after Neymar's shot was saved.

The joy in his exuberant, knee-sliding celebration revealed the disappointment he has been suffering in recent weeks. Scoring goals is what this man lives for.

Suarez has scored before, away in Cyprus when Barcelona played Apoel Nicosia, but this was bigger. He has Messi to thank, in part, with the forward also on the scene but leaving the ball for his strike partner to finish.

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

Messi held his hands in the air, as if to show he had nothing to do with the effort; created by Neymar, finished by Suarez.

This was good teamwork from Messi. If Suarez now goes on a scoring run because of his increased confidence, Messi played his part.

We know Suarez's lack of success in front of goal was playing on his mind. He told Sport in an exclusive interview: "I also know that I came here to score goals, not just to give passes to set them up. I came here because I've scored a lot of goals in my career, especially at Liverpool."

He went on to tell Sport of his frustration after the Espanyol game, which his side won 5-1 on Sunday, because he "lost balls he shouldn't lose" and "didn't feel comfortable" with himself.

Suarez had helped Barcelona score the equaliser, too, knocking the ball across for Messi to convert at the back post. Whether he meant to cross it or instead tried to shoot didn't matter. The result was the same.

Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press

A lot of talk before the game was about Barcelona's formation. It was confusing, with several ideas about what Luis Enrique was trying to achieve floating around before the match.

In the end, we found something like a 3-2-3-2, with three centre-backs and a double pivot, with Neymar and Pedro patrolling the wings and Andres Iniesta supporting Messi and Suarez.

Of course, Messi likes to float and did just that, but Suarez remained as the highest point for Barcelona on the pitch for most of the game, where he is comfortable.

Despite the good performances of other players, like Marc Bartra and Gerard Pique, the real quality in the display was generated in the forward line.

That's where Barcelona have been investing, that's where the fruits of their labour will lie. This was the first time it truly came to pass.