UEFA Champions League: Barcelona vs. PSG Preview, Odds, Prediction

Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain bring the first super clash in this year’s UEFA Champions League knockout stage. Many couldn’t wait to see Neymar going up against his former club, but unfortunately, the Brazilian magician won’t play in this event due to his groin injury. In general, both sides have enormous problems with injuries, as several regular starters won’t be eligible for Koeman and Pochettino. But even without them, this should be one of the best games in this calendar year. 

Preview 

Barcelona (+100) has 8 wins and two losses in the past then match, with the note that bot failures came in cup competitions, one in Super Cup and the second in the first leg of Copa del Rey semifinals against Sevilla, 0-2. So they have a chance to erase that minus. 

When looking just La Liga, Blaugrana has seven wins in a row, and we have to say that they picked up some pace in that area. The latest match against Alaves ended 5-1, with Lionel Messi scoring two goals and posting an assist. That is a big deal for both him and the team because Barcelona needs him in the best shape for this contest. 

Messi’s touch is a must in the situation when Ronald Koeman doesn’t have the entire team at his disposal. Roberto, Pique, Coutinho, Fati, Braithwaite, and Araujo will all be out for Tuesday’s game.

PSG (+240) comes without Neymar, as already mentioned. But besides him, the Saints won’t have Di Maria, which is another big blow. The Argentinian winger is one of the best players on the team, and even though all the hype is focused on Mbappe and Neymar, Di Maria’s contribution on the field is almost the same as theirs.

At the moment, PSG has four straight wins, two at home and two on the road, conceding in just one, the latest vs. Nice at home, 2-1. It was a tough game for the team from Paris, who wasn’t convincing as many believed they would be. 

Since Mauricio Pochettino replaced Thomas Tuchel, PSG didn’t have some confident performances as they used to have under the German coach. Pochettino isn’t willing to spend the energy on chasing high victories, but is keen on preserving the lead once having it and slowing down the game. 

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We’ve listed all the players unavailable in Barcelona in the upper paragraph.

As for the Saints, Bernat, Dagba, and Pembele are also out besides Neymar and Di Maria, while Rafinha sits questionable. 

Head to Head Games

In 11 games since 1995, Barca has a slightly better record, with four wins, three draws, and three defeats. The last matchup was memorable, back in 2015, when PSG won the first event, 4-0, before losing the rematch with 6-1. 

Prediction

This match won’t have too many similarities with the ones from four years ago. Both sides will be conservative, without some aspirations to attack or open too much. Our prediction here would be to bet on the moderate efficiency, with the odds currently at +100 for that pick.