The UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal throws up a titanic clash when Barcelona travel to Paris Saint-Germain for the first leg. Here is a preview.
Luis Enrique takes on his former club with the familiar face of Xavi now in charge of the Blaugranas as a tie against the winner of the Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund fixture awaits in the semi-finals.
This matchup is best known for ‘La Remontada’, the biggest comeback in UEFA Champions League history in the 2017 Round of 16 when Barca secured an emphatic 6-1 victory after a 4-0 deficit in the away leg.
PSG did get sweet revenge with a 5-2 aggregate win over Los Merengues in the 2020-21 Round of 16 thanks to a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick. With both sides having had decent campaigns so far, this particular clash should be more balanced in terms of the quality between them.
With a 12-point lead in the Ligue 1 standings, the Parisians look on course to secure their 12th league title and their focus is firmly on the European Cup in Mbappe’s swansong.
There were two wins, as many draws and a defeat from their first five league games but the UCL campaign began with a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund. It was a disastrous outing in the 4-1 defeat at Newcastle but PSG only won the next five games including a 3-nil at home to AC Milan.
The Italians exerted revenge in the next game which opened up a hotly contested Group of Death, but PSG got two more draws to see them through as runners-up on goals difference and for a Last 16 tie with Real Sociedad.
Mbappe was once again the star of the show by scoring three of the four goals in their 4-1 aggregate victory, setting up this must-see against Barcelona.
They must be at their best to halt Xavi’s side who are facing the same man that led them to that unforgettable Remontada night.
The departure of star names such as Sergio Ramos, Marco Verratti, Neymar and Lionel Messi has led to the rebuild of a younger PSG squad albeit still with lots of experience in the form of Marquinhos, Milan Skriniar and the irrepressible Mbappe.
PSG boss, Luis Enrique, was the mastermind behind Barca’s last UCL triumph in 2015 and this tie is even more emotional given it was Xavi who captained the club on that night in Berlin.
The ex-midfielder has his sights set on a fairytale ending to his tenure in the hotseat which would go well alongside last season’s La Liga title victory. After finishing top of a group containing Royal Antwerp, Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk, Barcelona advanced to the Round of 16 against Napoli.
Following an unbeaten start to the league campaign, Barca got their UCL adventure up and running with a 5-0 thrashing of Antwerp. Results kept on coming as they also delivered three points on Matchdays 2 and 3 against Porto and Shakhtar.
The late defeat in the first El Clasico of the season preceded a 1-0 loss in the next UCL game away to Shakhtar, but a win over Porto confirmed a knockout spot as the Matchday 6 defeat to Antwerp didn’t hamper their top spot in Group H.
Whilst they remain within eight points of league leaders, Real Madrid, the Blaugranas overcame Napoli 4-2 after two legs and they will be confident in their chances for the rest of the season.
A knockout tie against PSG is not a given, especially considering their own European form in recent years, so Barca must be cautious and go for a result in the first leg. Indeed, it is set to be an exciting game between two vibrant teams filled with attacking quality and there is no doubt that this would be a high-scoring encounter over both legs.
Xavi is set to leave his role come the end of the season and there is no better way to leave for the second time on a high than with a place in the Last Four.
Match Tickets
The first leg of this UEFA Champions League Quarter-final takes place on Wednesday, 10 April 2024 with kick-off scheduled for 8 PM UK time. Match tickets are available for sale on the website of both clubs with allocation guaranteed for season ticket holders, registered members can order tickets through a ballot system until Thursday, 21 March at 11.59 pm CET.
The Parc des Princes will be fired up for this massive game for the club as they look for meaningful progress in the first year of their new project. A capacity crowd of over 45,000 is expected to pitch up in Paris so tickets through official channels are sold out. Supporters who are desperate to cop their PSG vs Barcelona tickets can still do so on a ticket resale site.
Team News
Sergio Rico, Marquinhos, Presnel Kimpembe, Milan Skriniar and Marco Asensio are some of the names currently on PSG’s injury list. Their availability for the Barca game is unknown at the time of writing.
For the visitors, Gavi, Alex Balde, Ferran Torres, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and Joao Cancelo are out but you can stay tuned for more fitness updates.
Line-ups
Enrique has gradually settled into his preferred PSG team that boasts the quality and experience required to win but with doubts over their ability to get the job done.
Mbappe is the undoubted key man and his pace, trickery, creativity and finishing ability will be crucial for PSG to get anything out of this tie.
Paris Saint-Germain: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Beraldo, Hernandez; Ruiz, Ugarte, Vitinha; Dembele, Kolo Muani, Mbappe.
Barcelona have dealt with several fitness setbacks all season but Xavi is finding a way to produce results with academy youngsters. The Blaugranas will hope to field their strongest possible side on the night.
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Cancelo; Lopez, Christensen, Gundogan; Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha
Prediction
This game is hard to call and it will be down to the slightest details and who is ready to give more to get the victory. Both teams possess the firepower to beat the other so it will be down to the battle of the dugouts to determine a winner.
Enrique versus Xavi is an interesting tactical battle and while there may be similarities in their approach, the ability to manage moments would be key.
Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Barcelona
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