So pilloried for so long, so questioned for so long, Luis Enrique now looks all-knowing just as his side look all-conquering. The Barcelona manager, after all, predicted this. And not just that they would go through. He predicted the number of goals his side would get against Paris Saint-Germain, and said it with the conviction of someone who truly believed. His team also truly played with that belief, to make his prediction - or, rather his proclamation - come off.

“If a team can score four times against us, we can score six times against them,” Luis Enrique had said on the eve of the game.

He surely couldn’t have predicted how they would do it though. The sensational fact that they finally overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit by scoring three goals in the last five minutes with one of those in the last 30 seconds - having also conceded what looked the killer away goal - is actually just one of many incredible elements to this game.

The story of Barcelona's incredible comeback against PSG Show all 13 1 /13 The story of Barcelona's incredible comeback against PSG The story of Barcelona's incredible comeback against PSG Barcelona's night got off to the best possible start with Luis Suarez scoring in the 3rd minute. Getty The story of Barcelona's incredible comeback against PSG Excellent improvisation from Andres Iniesta caused Layvin Kurzawa to convert the ball into his own net. Getty The story of Barcelona's incredible comeback against PSG After the half-time interval, Lionel Messi put his name on the scoresheet from the penalty spot. Getty The story of Barcelona's incredible comeback against PSG However, when Edinson Cavani grabbed a vital away goal for the visitors, Barca's hopes looked lost. Getty The story of Barcelona's incredible comeback against PSG Cavani could not hide his emotion after scoring the goal which, at that point, had looked to have ended Barcelona's hopes of qualifying. Getty The story of Barcelona's incredible comeback against PSG Three minutes from time, Neymar struck back with a splendid free-kick which beat Kevin Trapp at his near post. Getty The story of Barcelona's incredible comeback against PSG Into stoppage time, and after Marquinhos' foul, Neymar converted Barcelona's second penalty of the night. Getty The story of Barcelona's incredible comeback against PSG In the final minute of added on time, Neymar's lofted pass found Sergi Roberto in the box. Getty The story of Barcelona's incredible comeback against PSG The 25-year-old lifted the ball over Trapp and into the far corner to complete the Champions League's greatest-ever comeback. Getty The story of Barcelona's incredible comeback against PSG Sergi Roberto was duly mobbed by his teammates, as scenes of pandemonium spread around the Nou Camp. Getty The story of Barcelona's incredible comeback against PSG Unai Emery, meanwhile, could not look. Getty The story of Barcelona's incredible comeback against PSG As our chief football writer Miguel Delaney wrote, the night was one of the sublime, the ridiculous, and the historic. Getty The story of Barcelona's incredible comeback against PSG Barcelona progress into the quarter-finals, along with Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. Getty

Then there was the curiosity that, to achieve this greatest ever European Cup comeback, one of the greatest ever players was actually very quiet. Barca managed to do this without having Leo Messi anywhere near his best, although he was so obviously crowded out with the one thing that PSG did well in this game, and he did absolutely smash home a pressure penalty at a key moment of the game.

The trueness of that kick, the way it seemed an example of such distilled focus, also symbolised the Barcelona performance. Right from the start, they had that rare and heightened intensity of application of a team that is truly immersed; that has that severe sense of mission that means there is no hesitation to anything they do.

That was one great contrast between the teams, and one big reason for the final result. While PSG were so shambolic and so obviously nervous, Barca were so sharp, and ensured their fluid new formation - another Luis Enrique masterstroke - was just too much for the French champions’ desperately deep defence.

The Catalans were playing with a fire as well as that fluency and, for all the debate about how Luis Enrique man-manages this team, he seemed to completely catch the right mood. He set the right tone, both in his pre-game press conference and in the dressing room beforehand. Centre-half Samuel Umtiti, who was so accomplished on the night, certainly indicated this.

“The coach asked us [before the game] if we’d already pulled off a ‘remontada’ and nearly no one said 'yes’. We did what the coach wanted. When we play with that attitude, we’re very strong.”

Match-winner Sergi Roberto also so appropriately summed up their attitude, in describing what he did for that decisive goal.

“I threw myself at it with everything.”

Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Marc-Andre ter Stegen - 6 out of 10 Was rarely tested on an evening when all the action was taking further place up the pitch. Did his job when called upon. Getty Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Gerard Piqué - 7 Defiant and resilient throughout, displaying composure at the back and technical ability on the ball too. Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Javier Mascherano - 7 Gave his all. Showed his intent from the start, putting in a series of important challenges and blocks. AFP/Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Samuel Umtiti - 7 Dominant in the air and dominated in his battles with Cavani. Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Rafinha - 6 Dangerous in drifting in from the flank and excellent in finding the right space but some of his deliveries were off the mark. Nonetheless, proved to be a nuisance for much of the night. Getty Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Sergio Busquets - 6 It was a scrappy and frantic night for the Spaniard. His challenges were mistimed and his passes misjudged but his energy was still invaluable in Barcelona's pressing game. Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Ivan Rakitic - 7 A bundle of enegery throughout. His challenges were vital in breaking up PSG's forward game but almost cost Barcelona the game in allowing Kurzawa to set up Cavani for his away goal. Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Andres Iniesta - 7 Pulled the strings for much of the, playing passes left, right and centre, and wasn't afriad to try his luck from outside the box. Dwindled in influence as the game wore on. AFP/Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Lionel Messi - 7 Here, there, everywhere. It was another trademark performance from the Argentine but on this occasion he wasn't the man who Barcelona turned to. AFP/Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Luis Suárez - 7 Showcased the best of his poaching abilities to snatch Barcelona's first goal and proved to be a menace for the entire 95 minutes. AFP/Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Neymar - 9 Absolutely sensational. Was instrinsic to Barcelona's late fightback, scoring their first fourth and fifth goal before setting up Sergi Roberto's winner with an exquisite assist. Getty Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Kevin Trapp - 5 Poor decision-making handed Barca their first and failed to effectively deal with Iniesta's back-pass for the second. AFP/Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Thomas Meunier - 4 His ill-timed foul on Neymar handed Barca their first penalty and third goal. Let down by sloppy mistakes. AFP/Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Marquinhos - 4 Should have done much better for Barcelona's second, failing to assert himself against Iniesta inside his own box. It was night to forget in all for him. AFP/Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Thiago Silva - 6 As ever, Silva was PSG's warrior. But although he rarely shirked a challenge even he was suspectible to lapses in concentration tonight and poor decision-making. Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Layvin Kurzawa - 4 His disastrous attempt at a goal-line clearance handed Barcelona their second and he clearly struggled against Rafinha's pace and trickery. Impressive assist for Cavani's goal but, in all, the occasion appeared to get to him. AFP/Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Adrien Rabiot - 5 Failed to deal with Barcelona's high-intense approach and incessant press. AFP/Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Marco Verratti - 6 Started well but grew increasingly timid and quiet as the game wore on. Conceded a number of unnecessary challenges. AFP/Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Blaise Matuidi - 4 Little of note to say. Looked overwhelmed at times. Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Lucas Moura - 5 Kept himself busy in the first half but was repeatedly targeted by Barcelona's enforcers and struggled to shine as a result. AFP/Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Edinson Cavani - 6 Did what was asked of him in expertly clinching PSG's vital away goal. Should have converted an early second-half chance though. Let down by his team-mates. Getty Images Barcelona vs PSG player ratings Julian Draxler - 5 Another player who failed to live up to the big occasion. AFP/Getty Images

It was a match that had everything, including some spectacular moments, not least Neymar’s exquisite tide-turning free-kick. That was the other huge element of this comeback. If Messi was so successfully crowded out by PSG - and praising them seems so incongruous given the nature of their collapse - that just left space for others. Andres Iniesta and Neymar were two players to especially revel in that space.

The Brazilian was brilliant, and set a tone himself with a fierce long-range shot that went inches wide when the score was 1-0.

Not everything he did was so creditable, mind. PSG felt the penalty he won just after half-time was very doubtful, but still probably wasn’t as dubious as the one Luis Suarez won for Neymar himself to make it 5-1. The Uruguayan in particular seemed to dive.

Many around the French champions’ camp were bitterly complaining about some of those moments, many of the decisions and the way that Barcelona so blatantly tried to influence the referee.

“The refereeing decisions went against us,” Unai Emery complained.

The reality, however, is that was probably just an extension of Barca’s extreme application. To achieve the impossible, after all, you probably have to push everything to the limit - including the rules.

This is not to excuse some genuinely shameful behaviour. That’s just the game. That’s football. It is brutal.

It was especially brutal on PSG. But, if you’re inches and seconds from something truly historic, as Suarez was as he went down just when he seemed to be put through for that fifth goal, you’re probably not going politely accept not getting there and meekly dust yourself down.

You’re going to absolutely fight to the death. That’s what Barca did, and it wasn’t always pretty, but it did produce something spectacular.

It really is so astounding that even this club, and even this team with players like Messi, can still do something that completely amazes the football world.

“I cannot believe it,” Ivan Rakitic side with breathless exhilaration. “It was really impossible… it is crazy and unbelievable.”

You could say couldn’t have predicted it, but someone did.