Barcelona completed one a miraculous comeback on Wednesday night, thrashing Paris Saint-Germain 6-1 in their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 second leg at the Nou Camp to progress to the quarterfinals 6-5 on aggregate.

In the aftermath of their humiliating loss in Paris, Barcelona manager Luis Enrique had announced he wouldn't be renewing his contract in the summer and his side trotted out in a 3-3-4 formation which was meant to attack from the very first minute.

PSG were without the services of the mercurial Angel di Maria, who had tormented La Blaugrana in the first leg, as Unai Emery felt he wasn't fit to start and in his place the talented but inconsistent Lucas started.

As expected, the hosts harried Les Parisiens from the start and got off to a blistering start when Luis Suarez’s close-ranger header in the third minute was deemed to have crossed the line. PSG’s goalkeeper Kevin Trapp should have dealt with the ball, either punching or catching it, but his hesitation had cost his side dear.

Barcelona continued to press high up the pitch but as time ticked on it seemed PSG would hold out  despite unwittingly inviting pressure on to themselves. Neymar, Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta all took aim at goal from distance and as their shots whizzed wide, a packed Nou Camp grew tense as time in the first half ran out.

It was left to the evergreen maestro, Andres Iniesta, to conjure a goal out of nothing. On the byline near the goal, surrounded by PSG defenders, the midfielder’s back heel crept inside the goal after getting a massive deflection off Layvin Kurzawa five minutes before the interval.

That second goal gave a massive boost to the hosts who started the second half akin to the way they had first, pressing and harrying PSG in their own half. And when Neymar was tripped by a falling Thomas Meunier in the box, match referee Deniz Aytekin had no hesitation towards pointing to the spot. Messi stepped up to score his 39th goal of the season, sending Trapp the wrong way.

PSG, sensing a serious comeback was on the cards, remembered they could play football and on a rapid counter attack almost had an immediate reply but Edinson Cavani’s first-time shot hit the post to give Barcelona a reprieve.

Cavani was to have his goal, however, volleying home from inside the box after Kurzawa had headed the ball back in his path two minutes over the hour mark to give the visitors a real chance of making it to the quarters.
In fact Cavani’s goal had ensured that come what may, the tie would not be going to extra time and the stakes were officially raised as Barcelona needed to score three more goals to progress (the away goals rule applies in Champions League matches).

And three goals they did score, but was more remarkable about them was that they all came after the 87th minute.
First, Neymar curled in a magical free kick from the left, as Trapp was expecting the Brazilian to cross and had strayed too far from the first post in the 88th minute.

The second goal came via highly controversial circumstances as Suarez tumbled inside the box by a slight touch from PSG defender Marquinhos. The contact was minimal if at all there was any contact as the Uruguayan striker raced onto a long ball but despite PSG’s protests, the penalty was given.

Neymar stepped up this time, and sent Trapp the wrong way with a cool spot-kick in the 91st minute to give Barcelona four minutes to find the winner.

And find the winner they did, via an unlikely source in full back Sergio Roberto. The La Masia graduate finished from close range after Neymar’s free kick from wide had found him unmarked inside the box in the 96th minute. Wild scenes erupted at the Camp Nou, which up till now, had been famous for Manchester United’s comeback win against Bayern Munich in the 1999 UEFA Champions League final.

No team had ever in the history of the UEFA Champions League ever overturned a four-goal deficit and Barcelona have created history any way you look it and while the MSN (Messi, Suarez, Neymar) will receive most of the attention, their manager Luis Enrique was the true mastermind.
The tactician has had a trophy-laden three seasons with the Catalans and credit must be given to him for turning things around so quickly.