Competition:UEFA Champions League
Paris Saint Germain vs Barcelona
Kick Off: 23:45 Hrs
Tue 14th Feb 2017
Venue: Parc des Princes
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Paris Saint Germain vs Barcelona Preview and Prediction
The reigning champions of France and Spain have met six times in Europe’s elite club competition within the last four years, including in two quarter-final ties which were both won by Barcelona.
In 2012-13, it was only on away goals that Barca advanced for it finished 2-2 in Paris and 1-1 at Camp Nou, with Pedro netting what proved to be the decisive strike in the 71st minute of the second game when it looked as though his team might be heading out.
Two seasons ago, they went head-to-head in the group stage and enjoyed a home win apiece before again being pitted together for a quarter-final match-up.
Barcelona prevailed that time much more easily, 5-1 on aggregate with Neymar the destroyer-in-chief of PSG with three goals in the tie to supplement the two he had previously notched in the group meetings.
PSG replaced coach Laurent Blanc last summer with three-time Europa League winner Unai Emery purely to try and enhance their prospects on the continent, because they have completely dominated their domestic competitions for the last couple of years.
Thiago Motta (left) and Edinson Cavani (right) of Paris Saint-Germain try to stop Lionel Messi of Barcelona (Getty Images)
But certainly in the first half of the season it did not look an inspired move because the Ligue 1 kings let top spot in Group A slip from their grasp by messing up at home to Ludogorets Razgrad in their last game, allowing Arsenal to overtake them and which meant they copped for a much tougher draw in the round of 16.
Emery also looked to have taken PSG backwards in the French league, which they have been making heavy weather of, and the obvious lack of progress means his side are very difficult to fancy to make it third time lucky against Barcelona in the knockout stage.
Luis Enrique’s side, meanwhile, won five of their six matches in Group C with the exception being a 3-1 defeat away to Manchester City, while Lionel Messi is clear in the Champions League Top Goalscorer chart with his tally of 10 putting him four ahead of PSG’s Edinson Cavani.
Any hopes the Uruguayan has of overhauling his Argentine rival are likely to be ended in this tie and we fancy Barcelona to claim a first-leg advantage before finishing off the job at Camp Nou.
Recommended bets:
Barcelona to win
Over 2.5 Goals
