PSG thrash Barca after attacking masterclass

Paris Saint-Germain have sent an ominous warning to their Champions League rivals with a 4-0 thumping of Barcelona in the first leg of their round of 16 clash.

PSG came out firing at the Parc des Princes with an Angel Di Maria free kick and a Julian Draxler goal giving them a 2-0 lead at halftime.

The French champions never looked like relinquishing that lead with Di Maria doubling his tally in the second half, before Edinson Cavani added a fourth to round out the scoring.

PSG, eliminated by the Catalans in the Champions League quarter-finals in 2013 and 2015, were the more aggressive side throughout and have put themselves in a commanding position ahead of the March 8 second leg at the Camp Nou.

Five-times European champions Barca have not exited in the last 16 since going out to Liverpool in the 2006/07 season.

"It's not very difficult to explain. They were better than us from the start and put us under pressure," Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said.

"We couldn't get out of it. We were obviously inferior tonight."