Prediction: Barcelona win
Best Odds: 15/8
Bookmaker: 888sport
The UEFA Champions League is back once again this week as we take another step towards the quarter-finals of the competition. There are some absolute juggernauts of European football still left in the mix and today, we’re going to take a look at a second leg tie between two of them – Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona. The French champions clearly hold the advantage from the first leg, but ruling out Barca could prove to be a big mistake.
PSG
They came within touching distance of finally becoming European champions last year and you can bet PSG are more eager than ever before to go that one step further. They have the players, the style and the finishing ability to make it all work – but holding their mental nerve may be the biggest challenge of them all. They know what kind of advantage they have heading into this game and they know what they need to do to progress.
Team News
Kean is set to miss out after testing positive for COVID-19 with the only other confirmed absence being Juan Bernat. Elsewhere, Florenzi and Dagba are fitness doubts, but the biggest concern of all is Neymar who is desperate to fight his way back to full fitness.
Barcelona
Barcelona’s demise in the last few years has been well-documented and while it perhaps isn’t as dramatic as most initially thought it might be, there’s still something to be said for the problems they’re experiencing. Ronald Koeman wants to be known as the man who turned it all around but when the expectations are so consistently high at a club like this, anything other than winning regular pieces of silverware is seen as a failure.
Team News
Alba will be assessed before the game after coming off injured during the game against Osasuna. Elsewhere there are plenty of other concerns that have been noted with the following players ruled out: Coutinho, Fati, Araujo, Roberto and Pique.
Factors to Consider
- In the first leg of this tie, PSG beat Barcelona 4-1 at the Nou Camp.
- PSG have won five and lost one of their last six games.
- Barcelona have won four, drawn one and lost one of their last six games.
- PSG have scored 14 goals and conceded four in their last six games.
- Barcelona have scored 12 goals and conceded five in their last six games.
Conclusion
When you’re 4-1 down in a tie like this you absolutely have to go with it, and as we’ve come to learn about these two clubs, nothing is over until the final whistle blows. We’re expecting this to be really explosive, really entertaining and perhaps most notably of all, really insightful. Barca have to show some level of heart here if they want to have anything to build on in the next few years, and we think they’ll win the game on the night but go out on aggregate – which, at the very least, would save their blushes ever so slightly.
Prediction: Barcelona win
Best Odds: 15/8
Bookmaker: 888sport
- Soccer News Like
- Be the first of your friends!
