3. Shot-shy visitors pay the ultimate price
If there is one criticism that can be levelled at Barcelona, which would have been true even in the heydays of Pep Guardiola is the side’s reluctance to shoot, when an opportunity presents itself. It was never more apparent than against PSG. The Catalans had plenty of opportunities to shoot especially from just inside and around the box, but none of the players seemed particularly interested in having a crack at goal. Instead of shooting, they just passed it onto a player in space, who did the same thing all over again.
But the simple fact is that when they did shoot, they ended up scoring or coming very close. Both of Barcelona’s goals came from a piece of opportunistic finishing from Messi and Neymar and substitute Munir El Haddadi almost equalised with a shot from outside the box, which hit the post. Given their lack of quality at the back, the visitors would do well take a pop at goal more often than not. While Cavani gave an exhibition in how not to finish at the other end, the simple fact is that if you don’t shoot, you don’t score and the sooner the Catalans realise that, the better for them.