PSG v Barcelona Preview
By: Dehinbo Timothy
The UEFA Champions League returns again, as the 1st set of the Last 16 ties would be played on Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th of February.
Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona meet for a third knockout game in five seasons on Tuesday at the Parc des Princes, with the French club looking to come out on top this time after defeat in the previous two contests.
They faced each other four times in 2014/15. In the group stage, PSG recorded a memorable 3-2 home victory with goals from David Luiz, Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi; Lionel Messi and Neymar found the net for Barcelona.
When the teams met again on matchday six, Barcelona secured top spot in Group F with a 3-1 home win, recovering from Zlatan Ibrahimović’s opener thanks to Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez.
The sides were drawn together again in the quarter-finals when a 3-1 triumph at the Parc des Princes set up Barcelona’s aggregate success. Neymar and Suárez did the damage; a Jérémy Mathieu own goal was all Paris managed.
In Spain, two Neymar goals inside the first 34 minutes made sure for Barcelona. In the 2012/13 quarter-finals, Barcelona beat PSG on away goals rules after two draws 2-2 at Parc des Princes, 1-1 at the Camp Nou.
PSG have never lost any Round of 16 tie, winning all four games. PSG have lost the quarter-finals for the last four seasons. Recent one was Last year, when Manchester City edged them out, a 2-2 draw in Paris setting the Premier League side up for a 3-2 aggregate success.
The defeat by Barcelona in 2014/15 was only Paris’s second in 13 matches against Spanish visitors. Their previous loss was 3-1 against Deportivo La Coruña in the 2000/01 second group stage.
That Barça reverse was also their sole defeat in a run of 42 European home games since crashing 4-2 to Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup group stage (W26 D15).
They picked up five points at home in this season’s group stage (W1 D2). PSG home record against Spanish visitors is W6 D5 L2; overall it is W10 D7 L9.
They are without a win in the last five encounters, home and away.
Barcelona record away to French sides is W4 D3 L3; overall it is W12 D5 L4. They have won two matches and drawn three on their last six visits to France. Luis Enrique’s team clinched their 13th successive participation in the UEFA Champions League knockout phase by finishing top of Group C with a six-point advantage over Manchester City.
They have reached the knockouts on their last 15 participations in the competition. Barcelona are aiming to reach the quarter-finals for a record tenth consecutive season. Last term they bowed out at that stage was when they lost to Spanish rivals Atlético Madrid ( 2-1 H, 0-2 A).
In the round of 16 they had beaten Arsenal FC 5-1 on aggregate ( 2-0 A, 3-1 H). For PSG, Marquinhos is a booking away from a suspension; Thiago Motta serves a one-match ban. Paris have won 11 of their 14 games in all competitions, drawing two of them, since matchday six.
Cavani moved above Pauleta into second place behind Zlatan Ibrahimović (156 goals) on Paris’s all-time top scorers’ list when he registered his 110th goal for the club, from the spot, in the 1-1 draw against Monaco on 29 January. He now has 114 goals for the club.
Draxler has scored four goals since joining PSG from VfL Wolfsburg on 3rd January. They have made some UEFA Champions League squad changes with Julian Draxler, Giovani Lo Celso coming in and, Nanitamo Ikone, Jesé, Hervin Ongenda moving out.
For Barcelona, they have lost just one of their last 22 matches in all competitions. They reached the final of the Copa del Rey, where they will play CD Alavés, for the fourth successive season by defeating Atlético 3-2 on aggregate in the semi final fixture.
When Suárez scores, Barcelona do not lose. The Uruguayan international has found the net in 70 matches out of the 128 he has featured in for the Catalan giants with a record of 65 wins and five draws.
Aleix Vidal suffered a dislocated ankle during the 6-0 of Deportivo Alavés on Saturday which has ruled him out for the rest of the season. Mascherano injured his left hamstring in the second leg against Atlético and is expected to be out until the end of February.
Rafinha is also a doubt for this tie after breaking his nose versus Athletic Bilbao on 4th February. Barcelona have no UEFA Champions League squad changes. This is surely going to be entertaining with goals. It could go otherwise, but goals can’t be evaded.
PREDICTION: PSG 1-2 BARCELONA
