Since their impressive victories against Manchester City in the Champions League and Real Madrid in El Clasico, Barcelona have failed to display their best form. They have won their two recent fixtures against Celta Vigo and U.D Almeria, but have left some Catalan fans with worries ahead of their clash against French giants Paris Saint-Germain.
Speculation about the upcoming clash Between Barcelona and PSG was ignited back in September when in Group F of the Champions League, Barcelona saw themselves falling short in a 3-2 loss against their group rivals. Barça won the return match in the group 3-1, but that defeat left a bitter taste in the mouth. Oxygen was recently pumped on the fire when on March 20th, the Champions League draw found the two clubs meeting up in an exciting quarter-final fixture that will take place at Parc des Princes on 15th April, and the Nou Camp on 21st April.
Paris Saint-Germain carry the momentum of winning an important French Cup match against Saint-Etienne 4-1 with a hat-trick by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and a goal by Argentine striker Ezequiel Lavezzi, which fired PSG into the French Cup final. The French side also recently won 3-2 against their rivals Marseille in “le classique”, topping the league, and PSG know their potential in a competition in which they have not fared well in the past. Laurent Blanc and his team are now more determined than ever to bring some silverware back to the Parc des Princes.
Barcelona may have not impressed against Celta Vigo, but that doesn’t mean that their astonishing display against Manchester City in the Round of 16 can be brushed off and forgotten. Motivation is now much higher at the Camp Nou than it was only four months ago in January. Transfer rumours and speculation about Lionel Messi seems to have died down and the lack of uncertainty has been reflected in Messi’s recent form, including his spectacular goal in Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Almeria.
Barça’s main rivals for the La Liga title, Real Madrid, are now in second place in La Liga, despite their stunning start to the season, and must thank a rejuvenated Barcelona side for their recent troubles. If Barcelona can forget about their poor performance against Celta Vigo and learn from it, it is certain that there will be a Blaugrana flame in these two meetings between Barcelona and PSG; one that if executed correctly, could be too much to handle for “Les Rouge-et-Bleu.”
Lionel Messi will, of course, be Barça’s key man; Zlatan Ibrahimovic, of course, that of PSG. This battle between two of football’s greatest talents will be almost as exciting as the match itself.
Barcelona are away from home, so a win will give them a great chance of progressing to the Champions League semi-final. Both of the teams in this PSG vs Barcelona match will be desperate for victory: PSG even more than Barça, as they have never won the competition in their history and, such is the strength of the team, will not have a much better chance to win the competition again. Barcelona last won the Champions League in 2011 under Pep Guardiola.
