PSG vs Barcelona Preview | 2023-24 UEFA Champions League

PREDICTED LINE-UPS

PSG

PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Marquinhos, Danilo Pereira, Skriniar, Nuno Mendes; Vitinha, Ugarte, Fabian Ruiz; Dembele, Goncalo Ramos, Mbappe

Barcelona

PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Joao Cancelo; Fermin Lopez, Christensen, Gundogan; Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha

PREDICTION

This marks the fifth encounter between these two teams in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League since the 2012/13 campaign. Their history includes notable clashes, such as the memorable 'remontada' in 2017, where Barcelona secured a remarkable six-goal victory in the second leg to overturn a four-goal deficit. However, the more recent round of 16 tie in the 2020/21 season saw PSG dominate with a convincing 4-1 victory at Camp Nou, providing a clearer indication of the teams' current standings. PSG have outperformed Barcelona in each of the last four UEFA Champions League seasons, boasting an arguably stronger squad and displaying a more cohesive style of play, even with Barcelona's improvement under Xavi's guidance. Therefore, particularly with the advantage of playing the first leg at home, backing PSG appears to be the favourable choice in this encounter.