Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona

Parc des Princes sets the stage for a revenge-poised Champions League quarter-final tie between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.

Not since the famous ‘Remontada’ in March 2017 have Paris Saint-Germain got the chance to exact revenge on Barcelona, who made them the first side in Champions League history to exit a two-legged tie after claiming a 4+ goal lead in the first leg. PSG boss Luis Enrique, who was in the opposite dugout in that showdown, is hellbent on steering Les Parisiens into only their fourth Champions League semi-finals. Enrique’s men will be out for redemption after rescuing a late 1-1 home draw against Ligue 1 basement boys Clermont at the weekend – their third stalemate across their last five outings at the Parc des Princes (W2). Nevertheless, the record-time French champions have won three of their four Champions League home games this season via 2+ goals ‘to nil’ (D1).

In the meantime, Barcelona crashed reigning Serie A holders Napoli out of the Champions League last-16 to advance into the quarter-finals for the first time since an infamous 8-2 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich in 2020. Manager Xavi Hernandez will leave the club at the end of the season, and with Real Madrid on the verge of dethroning Barca in La Liga, he’s desperate to make a standout result in Europe. Confidence stems from the Catalans’ four-game winning streak in the build-up to this trip, although their away record against PSG is a source of concern. They have only managed one win on their six previous visits to Paris (D2, L3). Moreover, the Spaniards have emerged victorious from just one of their last 11 Champions League knockout matches on hostile turf (D5, L5).