Paris Saint-Germain welcome Spanish giants Barcelona to France for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie, as they look to finish off what they started last month.
Stadium: Parc des Princes
Key Statistics
PSG are on a run of three wins from their last three games in all competitions.
They have won seven times from their last eight home games, losing just once in that period.
The last time they held a 3+ goal advantage against Barca in the CL, they were eliminated.
Barca’s 4-1 defeat to PSG means that they have lost by an average margin of 4 goals across their last three UCL defeats.
They have lost just one of their last 14 away games in all competition.
Lionel Messi have scored eight goals and provided two assists since the beginning of February.
PSG
After an impressive first-leg showing at the Nou Camp, PSG enter this tie in total control of their Champions League destiny. They will be full of confidence as it is not every day that a team scores four times at the Nou Camp against the mighty Barcelona.
However, they will be wary of a repeat of the 2017 result that saw them relinquish a three-goal lead to a Neymar inspired Barca. Although things have changed so far for both teams as Barca struggle while Neymar is inspiring a new generation of PSG, different from the one that lost in 2017.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side head into this tie with eight wins from their last nine games in all competitions. In that period they scored 20 goals while conceding just five goals and keeping six clean sheets.
Meanwhile, the Parisians have only failed to score once in their last 18 competitive matches and have averaged 4 goals per game across their last three UCL games.
They hold the upper hand in this tie and will expect to win.
Possible PSG line-ups
Keylor Navas; Layvin Kurzawa, Presnel Kimpembe, Marquinhos, Alessandro Florenzi; Idrissa Gueye, Leandro Paredes; Marco Verratti, Angel Di Maria, Kylian Mbappe; Mauro Icardi.
Barcelona
Barcelona have been a shadow of their real selves in the Champions League in recent seasons and are attempting to reach just their second semi-final in the last four years.
Their struggles have been well documented and they face the thankless task of overturning a four-goal home deficit against a PSG team that is flying at the moment.
However, if any team can do it, Barca and Lionel Messi is that team. The Argentine superstar along with Ousmane Dembele have rediscovered their form, with the latter scoring three times in his last two games.
They will hope that they can fire their team to the semi-final as they need to score three times while keeping a clean sheet at the back.
Ronald Koeman’s side are unbeaten since that loss to PSG in February and are heading into this tie on a run of four consecutive wins in all competitions.
Possible Barcelona line-ups
Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti, Oscar Mingueza; Jordi Alba, Sergino Dest, Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri; Ousmane Dembele, Lionel Messi
Betting Odds
Prediction
PSG 2—1 Barcelona
