Barcelona's Superstar Trio Covers for Luis Enrique's Tactical Tinkering

After the last 10 minutes of Barcelona vs. Paris Saint-Germain, it looked like another routine performance from the Blaugrana.

By that stage, the result was secure and the team were passing the ball around with authority, while a tired PSG side were chasing shadows.

However, the other 80 minutes of the match were very different, and there was certainly a sense that Luis Enrique got lucky.

Even before the encounter got started, there was confusion among the supporters, most of which seemed to stem from the deployment of Pedro.

Was he going to feature at right-back or in the centre of midfield?

The answer was neither. Pedro played in his normal right-wing position, and it was the rest of the line-up that left fans scratching their heads.

Enrique opted for a 3-4-3 formation, with Javier Mascherano at the base of a diamond midfield and Lionel Messi at the tip.

The use of Sergio Busquets ahead of Mascherano could at least be justified by the need to combat the Parisians' physical attributes in midfield.

Blaise Matuidi and Thiago Motta combine strength and power in the centre of the pitch, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic uses his body expertly to disturb opposing defences.

For Laurent Blanc's PSG, it was 4-3-3 in possession and 4-4-2 without, as Lucas Moura tucked inside to defend in midfield and Edinson Cavani moved centrally.

With Barcelona so narrow defensively, it was always going to be difficult to apprehend Lucas, as the Brazilian's pace caused problems on the counter.

It was inevitable that this avenue would lead to PSG opening the scoring, as Jeremy Mathieu looked uncomfortable once again when dragged into a wide area.

There was a purpose about PSG when they were able to hit Barcelona on the break, and the outcome would have been more favourable with more clinical finishing.

The away team had the better of the chances, and they matched Barcelona for total shots on goal with 11 throughout the full game, via FourFourTwo Stats Zone.

It was the alertness of Luis Suarez that drew Barca level, with the striker's ability to turn behind the defence and somehow pick out Messi.

Neymar's superbly struck shot from distance on the verge of half-time is not something that can be altered by a coaching manual, either.

In the second half, Barcelona's defence moved to a four with Mascherano dropping alongside Gerard Pique.

Pedro's role became a hybrid one, as he simultaneously attempted to provide both width and energy within the midfield.

With Andres Iniesta struggling because it was only his second game back since injury, Barcelona never looked in total control until Xavi arrived as a substitute late on.

Four minutes later, Suarez added the third in a good individual performance.

With four players positioned so high up the pitch in the first half, Enrique's team were able to close the ball down well. However, as soon as PSG passed around the initial press, Barca looked vulnerable.

Enrique has a habit of trying to surprise the opponent in the biggest matches, and it's ultimately not proving successful.

Against Real Madrid, he chose Mathieu at left-back. Against Valencia, he gave Busquets a more advanced job.

Despite criticism, both players spent 45 minutes here in these positions.

This was the first time that Enrique played with a back three, although this was partly due to the suspension of Dani Alves.

It sends out a signal that he doesn't know his best team and that he doesn't trust the philosophy as much as his predecessors.

The trio of Messi, Suarez and Neymar as a combination probably had their most effective game, but Enrique still needs to find a greater balance through the rest of the team.