A good result comes at a cost for Barcelona

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | PSG 2 - BARCELONA 2

Matuidi equalised in injury time, Xavi having scored a penalty in the 89th minute. Messi and Mascherano went off injured.

There was a time when Paris was the city of sin and craziness. Barcelona yesterday both sinned and went crazy in the French capital. In the City of Light, everything was possible. Refuge of artists and bohemians, Paris was a puzzle to be solved. Who was to tell Barcelona that they were to live this madness themselves. Few more crazy matches have Barcelona played in the last few years than the one they suffered through here in the Parc des Princes. 2-2 against PSG appears to be a good result, but the toll paid to achieve it was costly. The return will be played without Messi or Mascherano, both injured. Given the shaking Barcelona were given during a good part of this game by PSG, they will need to remain completely on their guard. Europe gets tough, but Barça keep going. Vilanova's Champions League is predicted to be heroic; one in which each tie is a feat.
The game in Paris was simply unclassifiable. Torture for any match reporter. The opening minutes were clearly favourable to a PSG side which, led by Lucas Moura, contained and controlled Barcelona. But then Messi appeared and put things in their place with a goal, before injuring himself straight away after. Fear filled the ranks of the Barcelona fans. The terror grew when it was announced the substitute was Cesc.
A scoreline of 0-1 for Barcelona at half time was unfair. PSG had been the better team during the first 45, and if Barça were ahead it was thanks to the heroic saves of Valdés, the work of Alves and the sharp shooting of Messi. But much was still to come.
Referee Stark arrived on the scene, for example. The game was already proving to be an odd beast, without a clear boss, with Messi injured and PSG at times appearing to be a superb team, at others a rabble. Neither side could claim the game as theirs, and then Stark, whose fame precedes him, appeared and, helped by his two puppets on the touchlines, made a right mess of things. Firstly he prevented two Barcelona players, who had collided between themselves, from coming on to the pitch while the French were attacking. This left Barcelona defending with 9 against 11. And from this piece of play came the equaliser, which, to rub salt in the wound, came from a clear offside from Ibrahimovic, right in front of the vacant gaze of the officials.
With the game level and Barcelona unable to count on the services of Messi or Mascherano, things looked dire for the Catalans. But Paris has that craziness about it, and it turned out that Alexis, who up to then had appeared to be like an annoying child who runs up and down without contributing anything worthwhile to society, was to clash with the French keeper. Stark, with a conscience heavier than a JCB, had no choice but to point to the spot. Xavi scored and the tie seemed destined for Barcelona.
But the Paris night holds more secrets than can be imagined and two of Barcelona's best players (Alves and Valdés) ended up erring at the worst possible moment. In injury time Ibra knocked a ball down before the Brazilian that Matuidi fired at Valdes, but the ball took a touch and Valdés floundered helplessly. Mad night, magical night.