Champions League: All-star strike force covers Enrique’s shortcomings in PSG win
Messi, Neymar and Suarez each scored against the Paris outfit to remain top of group
BARCELONA:
Barcelona needed the individual skills of their star-studded forward line to beat Paris St Germain on Wednesday after another disjointed performance and questions continue to be asked over the tactics of coach Luis Enrique
The visitors lapped up the space in the Barca rearguard with Zlatan Ibrahimovic striking the opener after 15 minutes before Lionel Messi and Neymar, with a stunning drive from distance, hit back before the break.
Barca looked unbalanced with an excess of attacking players in a system that had Neymar and Pedro playing on the wings.
They were reduced to last ditch defending until some order was restored by the introduction of Ivan Rakitic and Xavi, and then Suarez sealed a 3-1 win with his first goal at the Camp Nou.
"I chose the lineup for a number of reasons including the suspension of [Jordi] Alba and I thought that they would cause most problems for the opposition," said Enrique.
"We wanted to create space for our most dangerous players. We are capable of changing our style and being able to do that makes us more difficult to play against as the opposition doesn't know what to expect.”
City see off Roma to reach last 16
A Samir Nasri bullet and a late goal by Pablo Zabaleta saw Manchester City into the last 16 of the Champions League after a stunning 2-0 win over Roma at a packed Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday.
City, requiring at least a score-draw to go through to the knock-out phase, were dominated for large periods of the match but Nasri turned the game around on the hour when he fired an unstoppable shot past Morgan De Sanctis from 25 metres.
The goal left Roma requiring two goals to qualify for the knock-out phase, but after the Serie A side spurned a series of late chances, City rubbed salt into their wounds in the 86th minute when Zabaleta swept Nasri's low delivery past De Sanctis for his first Champions League goal.
"We won against a tough team and at a difficult stadium. I think we played very well from the beginning today," said manager Manuel Pellegrini.
Mourinho ready to swim with Euro sharks
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insists that the Blues will show no fear when they dive into the shark-infested waters of the Champions League last 16.
Mourinho's side got back on track with a 3-1 win over Sporting Lisbon in their Group G finale at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday to erase the bitter taste of their first defeat of the season at Newcastle last weekend.
"I like swimming with sharks – in a cage! I did it in French Polynesia. I didn't want to do it, but my wife and kids pushed me," said Mourinho. "The draw is the draw. We have five possible opponents and we have to be ready for them.”
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Barcelona needed the individual skills of their star-studded forward line to beat Paris St Germain on Wednesday after another disjointed performance and questions continue to be asked over the tactics of coach Luis Enrique
The visitors lapped up the space in the Barca rearguard with Zlatan Ibrahimovic striking the opener after 15 minutes before Lionel Messi and Neymar, with a stunning drive from distance, hit back before the break.
Barca looked unbalanced with an excess of attacking players in a system that had Neymar and Pedro playing on the wings.
They were reduced to last ditch defending until some order was restored by the introduction of Ivan Rakitic and Xavi, and then Suarez sealed a 3-1 win with his first goal at the Camp Nou.
"I chose the lineup for a number of reasons including the suspension of [Jordi] Alba and I thought that they would cause most problems for the opposition," said Enrique.
"We wanted to create space for our most dangerous players. We are capable of changing our style and being able to do that makes us more difficult to play against as the opposition doesn't know what to expect.”
City see off Roma to reach last 16
A Samir Nasri bullet and a late goal by Pablo Zabaleta saw Manchester City into the last 16 of the Champions League after a stunning 2-0 win over Roma at a packed Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday.
City, requiring at least a score-draw to go through to the knock-out phase, were dominated for large periods of the match but Nasri turned the game around on the hour when he fired an unstoppable shot past Morgan De Sanctis from 25 metres.
The goal left Roma requiring two goals to qualify for the knock-out phase, but after the Serie A side spurned a series of late chances, City rubbed salt into their wounds in the 86th minute when Zabaleta swept Nasri's low delivery past De Sanctis for his first Champions League goal.
"We won against a tough team and at a difficult stadium. I think we played very well from the beginning today," said manager Manuel Pellegrini.
Mourinho ready to swim with Euro sharks
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insists that the Blues will show no fear when they dive into the shark-infested waters of the Champions League last 16.
Mourinho's side got back on track with a 3-1 win over Sporting Lisbon in their Group G finale at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday to erase the bitter taste of their first defeat of the season at Newcastle last weekend.
"I like swimming with sharks – in a cage! I did it in French Polynesia. I didn't want to do it, but my wife and kids pushed me," said Mourinho. "The draw is the draw. We have five possible opponents and we have to be ready for them.”
Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.