Enrique deployed a fluid 4-3-3 that prioritised vertical directness over sustained possession. In the build-up, Achraf Hakimi frequently drifted into inverted central positions to support Vitinha and Joao Neves. This allowed PSG to morph into a 3-2-2-3 structure in possession, stretching the pitch with wingers staying high and wide to pin the Barcelona full-backs.
Defensively, PSG were aggressive and front-footed in the first half, pressing high and engaging in physical duels. It nearly paid off almost immediately, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia striking the post inside two minutes after a high regain, and finally did in the 38th minute, when Lamine Yamal lost possession near his own box and Desire Doue drove through the middle before firing in from outside the area. After the break, PSG shifted to smartly reading and cutting off passing lanes instead.
In truth, the match could have been settled far earlier had it not been for a frustrating night for Ferran Torres against his former club. Thrust into action in the 20th minute for the injured Ousmane Dembele, Torres seemed haunted by his past, squandering a glorious close-range chance in the 25th minute before rattling the right post in the 71st minute, the second time PSG hit the woodwork after Kvaratskhelia’s early strike.