Chance does things well…or not. If you ask Manchester City, who will face Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the leaders will tell you that they would have preferred to challenge another opponent. On the Paris Saint-Germain side, the locker room wanted to cross swords with Borussia Dortmund. But John Obi Mikel, who carried out the draw, decided otherwise. And it is FC Barcelona that Kylian Mbappé’s teammates will face during the double confrontation scheduled for April. The French champions will not complain since they are avoiding a big chunk.
In the Catalan camp, feelings are different. There is the relief of avoiding the Skyblues, who Xavi’s players absolutely did not want to encounter. But there is also a little worry. Before the draw, Sport revealed that Blaugranas supporters, who took part in a survey, wanted to avoid PSG and Bayern Munich at all costs (5%) of the votes and preferred to play against BVB (47%). This will not be the case at this stage of the competition. After the announcement of the PSG-Barça clash, Catalan fans were questioned this time about Marca concerning the favorite of this meeting.
PSG is widely favorite for the Spaniards
And the result is very clear. Of more than 42,000 people questioned, 67% believe that the French champions are the favorites. 33% think Barça are superior. An opinion which is more or less the same in the Iberian press. Catalan media Sport wrote about this: “Barça will face PSG in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, playing the second leg at home. The Barça team avoided Madrid and City, the two most feared rivals, but will face one of the most formidable teams in Europe.
For his part, Mundo Deportivo dropped : “the confrontation between FC Barcelona and PSG in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League promises emotions and spectacle.” Contacted by us, Juan Carlos Navarro, journalist for Fichajes.combelieves that Parisians leave with certain advantages. “I think PSG are the favorites at the moment, because FC Barcelona have had a very inconsistent season. Of course, this is the only competition in which they have a chance to win a trophy and they will surely play with great intensity. Pro-Real Madrid media, Marca also thinks that the Blaugranas are not well off.
Kylian Mbappé scares
“Real Madrid and Barça inherit the worst part of the draw (…) Two bombs in the Champions League draw: Real Madrid against the champion and executioner of the last edition and Barça against PSG of Mbappé and Luis Enrique.” same for me A.S.. “Xavi Hernández’s men will have to face the colossus Mbappé, who had already shown signs of his category against Real in the previous round. With space, he is an unstoppable striker, something he already demonstrated a few seasons ago with a colossal performance at the Camp Nou against Barça. This meeting will mark the return of Luis Enrique to Barcelona.
A.S. continues: “there he won the Champions League in the era of Messi, Suárez and Neymar. He is now looking for the same thing in Paris with a renewed team but with Mbappé as the spearhead.” The return of the former Catalan coach adds a little spice according to Relevo. “Mbappé, Luis Enrique and the return of Dembélé make the PSG-Barça match exciting (…) PSG will be FC Barcelona’s rival in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The Parisian team will be the obstacle for the Blaugrana to reach the semi-finals. Despite the difficulty of the rival, Barça managed to avoid the team that the locker room did not want to see even in paint, the Manchester City of Pep Guardiola and current champion of the competition.
The assets Luis Enrique and Ousmane Dembélé
The Spanish media adds: “the coincidences of destiny wanted to associate Luis Enrique with Barcelona. It will also be Dembélé’s reunion with the Barça team after his departure last summer. The excitement of seeing Mbappé, Real Madrid’s possible recruit for next season, against Barça raises the profile of this meeting. With the memory of the 6-1 in the 2016/2017 season, the last precedent in Europe between PSG and Barcelona dates back to the round of 16 of the 2020/2021 season. The French won at Camp Nou 1-4 thanks to a hat-trick from Mbappé. In Paris, the score of 1-1 left Ronald Koeman’s team in the gutter.
Juan Carlos Navarro expects a complicated comeback for Dembouz. “Regarding the return of Luis Enrique, I think they will receive it with affection. I have more doubts for Ousmane Dembélé, because he has just left while we were waiting for him to take a step forward. As for Kylian Mbappé, I think that, as always, his match will be decisive. If he plays at his best, PSG will have a better chance of qualifying.” Some, like Lluis Arienzo, a Spanish journalist, are also waiting to get a taste of what he can do in La Liga. “For Mbappé, it will be a test for his next years in Madrid”, he told us But more than a player, it is a group and above all a coach, who Barça wants to recruit to succeed Xavi; that the Spanish fear.
A stronger collective
Sport writes about it: without Messi and Neymar, PSG lost talent, but this made it easier for Luis Enrique to reinforce the idea of a group rather than individuals (…) Luis Enrique also took time to find the best system for your PSG. After trying a formula with three defenders and two wingers, he found the best solution in the classic 4-3-3. Ousmane’s reunion with Barça will be one of the big attractions of the meeting. The Frenchman has only one goal but has accumulated 12 assists and, above all, has managed to maintain continuity without injury. For Luis Enrique he is a key player because of the way he corrects the sides and his imbalance. He is also a tactical joker (against Real he played in midfield) and maintains a special bond with Mbappé.
The Catalan media concludes: “the two form a formidable attack with Barcola, a very fast winger who requires a lot of vigilance. The level of PSG’s attackers means that we talk less about the midfielder, but Luis Enrique has important pieces. Zaire-Emery is one of the great hopes of French football and alongside him stands out Fabián Ruiz and the talent of Vitinha (…) Barça will face a very complete defense with two very offensive full-backs. Hakimi, who will miss the first leg due to suspension, Lucas Hernández, Beraldo and Mendes are the starters with Donnarumma in goal. The Italian goalkeeper is one of the best in the world, but he is also capable of making mistakes unworthy of his level in key moments. Despite this, PSG will appear as a favorite against Xavi’s Barça.
