Barcelona put one foot into the semi-finals of the Champions League with a 3-1 win over Paris Saint Germain in Paris.
The visitors were superb at times and comfortably beat a side who they have struggled with at times in recent campaigns.
The first opportunity fell to the hosts on eight minutes when Blaise Matuidi got behind the Barcelona defence. His cross from the left found Javier Pastore but the Argentine failed to connect with the pass and it came off his standing foot and out for a goal kick.
Barca went close five minutes later when Luis Suarez found Lionel Messi on the edge of the box with a sublime cross and the little Argentine took two touches before curling a left footed shot around Salvatore Sirigu which came back off the outside of the right hand post.
The visitors were beginning to enjoy more of the ball now and took the lead on eighteen minutes. Sergio Busquets did well to win the ball in midfield and found Andres Iniesta. Iniesta played in Messi who ran at the PSG backline before playing Neymar in on goal and the Brazilian coolly slotted past Sirigu to open the scoring.
PSG were dealt a further blow just after the goal when their captain and leader Thiago Silva went off injured. Silva was replaced by his international team mate David Luiz who himself was rushed back into the squad for this game due to injury.
The home side had a good opportunity to equalise on half an hour when Matuidi broke away after a Barcelona corner and released Ezequiel Lavezzi down the left. The Barcelona defence were all over the place and Edinson Cavani had acres ahead of him but Lavezzi's pass was poor and Javier Mascherano was able to get across to stop Cavani getting a shot away.
Lavezzi and Cavani combined again on thirty-five minutes and on this occasion Marc-Andre ter Stegen was forced into a save when Cavani flicked Lavezzi's cross goalward but the German was able to make a comfortable stop.
Barcelona almost doubled their lead on forty-three minutes when Suarez caught Luiz in possession. Fortunately for the Brazilian Gregory van der Wiel got back to cover which left Suarez with no option but to shoot from wide and Sirigu made the save to ensure the score remained one nil at the break.
PSG made a bright start to the second half and Ter Stegen was forced into a save on forty-nine minutes when Pastore tried his luck from range. His shot was moving but ter Stegen took no chances and just made sure to get his body behind it and push it away from goal.
The hosts continued pushing forward and worked Ter Stegen again just a minute later. Adrien Rabiot and Pastore combined well at the edge of the box and the latter fired a shot off from just outside the box but again Ter Stegen got behind it and made a comfortable save.
On sixty-seven minutes Barcelona doubled their lead courtesy of a superb solo effort from Suarez. The Uruguayan picked up the ball on the right and nutmegged Luiz before beating Marquinhos and Maxwell and slotting past Sirigu in the PSG goal.
Cavani almost got a goal back straight away when Xavi could only clear a corner as far as the Uruguayan who struck a vicious effort goalwards. However, Ter Stegen was in fine form and dived across to his right to make a sublime save.
Messi went close to scoring Barcelona's third goal on seventy-three minutes when he beat three men in midfield but his shot was wild and off target as he looked to lose his balance prior to shooting.
Barcelona did get their third on seventy-nine minutes with Suarez getting his second goal of the game. The Uruguayan picked up the ball just inside the PSG half before playing a one two with Mascherano. Suarez nutmegged Luiz again to go one on one with Sirigu and he put his shot high and into the top corner giving the Italian no chance.
PSG got one back minutes later when Van der Wiel struck a low shot goalwards from out wide. The shot took a deflection off Jeremy Mathieu which gave Ter Stegen no chance in the Barcelona goal.
The hosts almost got another one in the eight-ninth minute when the ball fell to Cavani around the penalty spot. His effort looked to be goalbound but Mathieu made up for his earlier mistake by making an excellent block.
Paris St Germain continued to look for a second goal but Barcelona were content to hold what they had and the Catalan giants were able to see the remainder of the game out safely to take a 3-1 lead back to the Nou Camp for next weeks second leg.
Based on this performance Barcelona will be huge favourites to progress but PSG will take some encouragement from getting that late goal. However, they need to score at least three goals to progress and that in itself is a mammoth task.