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Barcelona's Champions League encounter with Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday was a spectacular, must-watch spectacle — the type of fixture typically reserved for the spring knockout stages rather than late October.
It lived up to the hype. Six goals were scored — many of exceptional quality — and a combined 10 Ballon d'Or nominees featured in the showdown between the two hottest teams in Europe.
Having a title-caliber performance this early in the season felt almost fitting for Hansi Flick's side, who already hold an over 80% chance of claiming La Liga, according to Opta's supercomputer, and could open up a nine-point gap over Real Madrid with a win in El Clásico this weekend.
While Barça ultimately fell short against Luis Enrique's defending champions, there are valuable lessons to be drawn from the 4–2 loss.
As manager Hansi Flick put it: "We lost, but we learned... We have to learn. It's October, and you don't win titles in October; the Champions League is won in June."
Trophies may not be on the line just yet, but the Clásico certainly is. Here are three key takeaways for Barcelona heading into Sunday's showdown with Real Madrid.
Xavi Espart Can Stop Yan Diomande
It has been quite the breakthrough for 19-year-old Xavi Espart, the latest gem from Barça's 2007 generation to make his mark in the senior squad.
Primarily a midfielder by trade, Espart has impressed at left back for much of the campaign, before being thrust into the right back role following injuries to both Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde, tasked with the daunting job of containing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The teenager was not beaten in a single dribble throughout the entire match, even after Kvaratskhelia was substituted around the hour mark and Désiré Doué took over on his side of the pitch.
"How he defended tonight against the top players PSG have in attack ... just amazing," Flick enthused after the final whistle.
With Yan Diomande expected to feature on the left for Real Madrid this weekend, Espart now appears to be the perfect option to handle the Ivorian's speed and flair, while also taking advantage of the space left behind the winger.
Espart was equally impressive in attack as in defense on Tuesday, showcasing his La Masia-honed technical quality with a well-taken equalizer early in the second half.
Rodri Is Essential to Control
It may be stating the obvious, but without the world's finest midfield anchor, Barcelona lacked... well, control against PSG.
Flick acknowledged before the match that the upcoming Clásico influenced his team selection "a lot," with Rodri only brought on after the 60-minute mark. The manager later maintained that the decision to keep the World Cup-winning skipper on the bench was "good for us and for him."
Barça ultimately paid the price for that selection, with Pedri surrendering possession three times in the opening five minutes alone. By halftime, PSG had registered 10 shots on target — the most conceded by Barcelona in the Champions League since at least 2003–04, per Opta.
Elite movers Vitinha, João Neves and Fabián Ruiz ran rings around the hosts for large stretches of the game with their fluid movement and incisive passing. All three PSG central midfielders ended the night with either a goal or an assist.
Madrid do not possess the same quality in midfield as PSG — in fact, the balance in that department remains a concern for José Mourinho following his failure to land Rodri in the summer. Nevertheless, Tuesday's match demonstrated that even when Barça dominate possession, their midfield can be exposed.
Lamine Yamal Over-Confidence
Lamine Yamal with another sensational finish 😮💨✨ pic.twitter.com/tpSGLfVhqO
It was very much a tale of two halves for Yamal, who produced another stunning individual goal but was careless in possession in the build-up to PSG's opener during the first period.
Yamal's unnecessarily risky pass in his own half was easily intercepted by Neves, who fed Doué, who found the net.
As impressive as Barcelona's unbeaten run was at the start of the season, they had not faced a truly elite opponent until PSG came to town. That Doué goal, born from Yamal's complacency, served as a reminder that at the very top level, careless errors will be ruthlessly punished.
Yamal was uncharacteristically wasteful in the opening half, but bounced back after the interval to remind everyone (should they have needed reminding) why he is the second favorite for the Ballon d'Or, netting a stunning goal from a tight angle after leaving Warren Zaïre-Emery in his wake.
He is now the first player across Europe's top leagues to reach 10 goals and 10 assists this season. Marc Cucurella and Madrid would do well to take note this weekend, though Barça will be hoping Yamal doesn't require another sluggish half to ignite his spark.