PSG vs Barcelona Prediction & Match Preview

PSG vs Barcelona Match Preview

Barcelona survived the Italian champions in the last-16 round. French champions PSG now await them in the quarter-final. The first leg of this highly-anticipated UEFA Champions League tie will be played on Wednesday evening at Parc des Princes. Which of the two familiar foes will gain advantage ahead of the next week’s rematch in Barcelona?

• Barcelona are unbeaten in eleven straight games across competitions.
• Blaugrana shipped just one goal in the last six affairs in all competitions.
• Three of PSG’s previous four outings ended with fewer than three goals scored.

PSG’s head coach Luis Enrique will thus reunite with his beloved Barcelona, a team that he took to the famous continental trophy nine years ago. Enrique has had a weird relationship with his key man Kylian Mbappe since the turn of the year. The Spanish manager regularly keeps subbing off his main star before the hour-mark in Ligue 1 games. Mbappe was not in action at all in the weekend’s 1-1 stalemate to the rock-bottomed Clermont-Foot.

Barcelona had a free weekend as La Liga was on a break due to the Copa del Rey final. Prior to the short break, Blaugrana had been on a four-game winning thread. The run includes a 3-1 victory over Napoli in the second leg of the Champions League last-16 round a month ago.

We can all still remember Barcelona’s amazing comeback in the last-16 round of the 2016/17 Champions League campaign. The Catalans advanced through despite losing the first leg 0-4 in Paris.

PSG got their revenge four years later. They ruined Lionel Messi’s farewell campaign with a 5-2 aggregate win in the last-16 round of the 2020/21 Champions League campaign.

At least four goals were scored in three of the last four head-to-head matches between these rivals.

PSG vs Barcelona Prediction

Xavi announced his departure from Barcelona at the end of the season on January 27, following a tough 3-5 home loss to Villarreal. Since them, Barcelona have been unbeaten in eleven straight outings across competitions. They’ll go into this on the back of four straight wins. Xavi can be particularly satisfied with his team’s recent defensive showings.

The Blaugrana allowed just one goal in the previous six matches in all competitions. PSG are also on an impressive run of their own. Goncalo Ramos’ late equalizer in the weekend’s stalemate to Clermont extended their unbeaten thread to 27 matches in all competitions.

Nonetheless, things in PSG’s dressing room do not look ideal with this whole saga around Mbappe’s departure at the end of his contract. Kylian and company did have too much for Real Sociedad in the last-16 round. Will they have for Barcelona? We are not so sure. The value is with the visitors who are 1.83 to avoid a defeat on Wednesday at Parc des Princes.

We also see the value in backing the Under 2.5 goals bet at the 2.15 odds. Barcelona have been very difficult to break down of late. They shipped just one goal in the last six matches in all competitions. The run includes a 3-0 win away at Atletico Madrid just after the Champions League victory over Napoli. Three of PSG’s last four Champions League games have also ended with fewer than three goals scored.

Steffen Schmidt- April 8, 2024

PSG vs Barcelona Betting Tips

Barcelona to win or draw

OK

	1.87 Odds
	1.83 Odds

Under 2.5 goals

OK

2.15 Odds

Correct Score: Draw 1-1

OK

	7.50 Odds
	7.00 Odds