When Paris Saint-Germain welcomes Barcelona to their Parc des Princes base on Wednesday, the French and Spanish champions square off for the opportunity to get a first-leg edge in their Champions League quarterfinal.
Enrique might be just five games away from finally breaking PSG’s agonizing Champions League curse and giving Kylian Mbappe the best possible send-off present, all nine years after raising the fabled European championship with Barcelona.
Les Parisiens were not expected to have too many issues in a last-16 matchup with Real Sociedad. In fact, Enrique’s club easily defeated Imanol Alguacil’s team 2-0 and 2-1, with Mbappe accounting for three of PSG’s four goals in the two legs.
The last time Les Parisiens lost was on a Champions League trip to AC Milan back in November, and not much more can be said about the hosts’ tendency toward disastrous European collapses, which Enrique oversaw throughout his seven seasons as Barcelona manager.
Barcelona’s story so far
Though the Catalan giants’ incredible 6-1 thrashing of PSG in 2016–17 did not precede their rise to prominence in the Champions League, the visitors are now making their first trip back to the quarterfinals since the coronavirus-ravaged 2019–20 campaign.
That time, Barcelona made the relatively short trip to Paris with the wind in their sails after head coach Xavi announced his intention to stand down at the end of the season. Bayern Munich, on the other hand, memorably destroyed their La Liga rivals in an 8-2 romp.
Following his shocking resignation announcement following a 5-3 loss to Villarreal in January, Xavi has led his team to an 11-game winning streak in all competitions.
This run included a decisive 3-1 victory at home against Napoli in the second leg of their last-16 match, which began with a 1-1 draw in Italy.
Prior to their journey to Paris on Wednesday, Barcelona’s victory over the Partenopei was their second straight victory in La Liga.
In their previous three top-flight matches in Spain, they had defeated Mallorca, Atletico Madrid, and Las Palmas while also keeping three clean sheets.
With eight games remaining, Barcelona’s eight-point deficit to leaders Real Madrid may be too big to overcome, but PSG is well aware that the Blaugrana have a history of incredible comebacks.
But the French powerhouses ruined Lionel Messi’s farewell in a 5-2 aggregate rout in their two-leg last-16 match in 2020–21; Barcelona can now exact the finest possible retribution by treating Mbappe, who is headed to Real Madrid, the same way.
Paris Saint Germain vs Barcelona Details
Date: Thursday, April 11, 2024
Time: 12:30 AM IST
Location: Parc Des Princes
TV: Sony Ten Network (India)
Live Stream: Sony LIV
Lineup Prediction
PSG possible starting lineup: Donnarumma; Zaire-Emery, Marquinhos, Skriniar, Mendes; Lee, Ugarte, Vitinha; Dembele, Ramos, Mbappe
Also Read: How To Watch UCL 2023-24 LIVE Streaming Free Online
Barcelona possible starting lineup: Ter Stegen; Kounde, Cubarsi, Araujo, Cancelo; De Jong, Gundogan, Lopez; Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha
Fantasy XI
Goalkeeper – Ter Stegen
Defenders -Marquinihos, Skriniar, Araujo, Cancelo
Midfielders – Vitinha, Gudogan, De Jong
Attackers – Mbappe, Lewandowski, Dembele
