Champions League Brings PSG Up Against Barcelona

As the European Champions League ramps up Paris Saint-Germain face off against Barcelona and without their star Ibrahimovic will have their work cut out for them

The world’s greatest club competition continues tonight in eight matches with another eight matches taking place in the European Champions League across the continent tomorrow night. Man City face Roma, Chelsea are taking on Sporting whilst Liverpool and Arsenal take on FC Basel and Galatasaray respectively. There’s some always some fireworks when teams this good go head to head but the match there will be more than a few eyes on is the match up of Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona.

PSG Face Tough Barcelona In Group F

• Barcelona’s Messi and Neymar look to continue winning ways

• PSG’s star player Ibrahimovic is out injured

• Bookies offer near evens on Barcelona winning

Having met five times in the last 9 years these two teams have often proved to be the equal of each other with very close games in each and every case. Of these meetings three have ended in a draw, with the sides taking a win apiece in the remaining two games, and you can bet they’ll both be trying to pull ahead out of this now all but historic deadlock. Their last match up perhaps the best example of this where their quarter final meeting in 2013 ended first in a 2-2 draw, then in the second leg a 1-1 draw (with Barcelona going through on away goals).

Of course if there’s a big difference between the teams it’s their record of success in the UEFA champion’s league so far. FC Barcelona have won the trophy a total of 4 times, three times in the last eight years, after coming close three times in the decades gone by. PSG on the other hand have yet to reach a final, and playing the team that squeezed them out in 2013 they’ll be sure to be coming out all guns blazing to put those ghosts to bed early on and make inroads on their ambition to not just be finalists, but be winners this year.

2014 saw PSG lose yet another quarter final on away goals, this time to Chelsea, and they’ve only reached one other beyond those two, and but one semi-final, since the 92/93 regime change but perhaps this season is their year, although with Ajax sitting with them second in group F after their 1-1 draw they’ll have to win tonight to stand much chance of going on in the competition. Barcelona, for their part, are leading the group at the moment after their victory against APOEL FC, and are showing the consistency of play they’re well known for.

PSG Are Missing Their Main Man

Lionel Messi is perhaps one of the very best footballers the world has ever seen. He’s been variously described as “a genius” by Diego Maradona, a “phenomenon” by Marco van Basten and as a “playstation character” by Radamel Falcao who is only 28 and thus can be forgiven for the somewhat poor comparison. Messi is, however, something special. The first and only player to top-score in four consecutive Champions League campaigns, he’s been at Barcelona since 2000 and has won La Liga with them six times, he’s got an Olympic Gold Medal from his 2008 appearance representing Argentina and has participated in three winning UEFA campaigns before.

This three time winner of the World Soccer Player of the Year is expected to be the tip of the spear as Barcelona attempt to break down PSG’s defense and deal a devastating blow to their ambitions of victory in a Champions League final. He’s likely to be partnered up front with Neymar who has been scoring at better than a goal a game in the ongoing La Liga season, and between the two of them they’ll be trying to see of PSG before the Frenchmen have time to settle into the game. PSG on the other hand might well be a tad blunted.

PSG are missing their star scoring master Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who during just eight matches in last season’s competition scored an impressive ten goals, and his absence due to an injured hee is a great loss to their offensive line up, and let’s remember that Barcelona are yet to concede a goal in seven games this campaign. This means that PSG have a hill to climb but they may well have the men to do it with Edinson Cavani reveling in the chance to step out of Ibrahimovic’s shadow and do some shining of his own.

Christophe Bahebeck hammered home a lovely goal against Toulouse on Saturday and perhaps he’ll be back on the pitch tonight to do the same again, although there are those who’d plump for the more experienced Lucas Moura as being the more likely to lead any PSG in-roads against that hard-to-crack Barcelona defense. Whomever he decides on PSG coach Laurent Blanc is under no illusions that his team will be “missing a bit of aggression” but he still believes that the team has the overall strength and quality to beat the boys from Barcelona.

The Odds Are In Barcelona’s Favor

Luis Enrique, Barcelona’s coach, is less worried but attempted not to show it saying; “The most important match is always the next one, so this Paris game is the most important one right now.” by which he is perhaps gambling news Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still nursing his injured heel won’t lull his players into complacency. PSG might be down one star player but only fools would count them out before the final whistle tells one way or the other. The one thing you can guarantee about this match is that it’s going to be quite the match whatever happens.

Online gambling sites in the UK have Barcelona firm favorites at 19/20 to win, possibly based on Zlatan’s heel, with PSG a somewhat distant 16/5 due to Messi and Neymar’s goal scoring rates at the moment, and a draw is just about hanging on to 11/4 which might well be a shrewd bet given the record of these two teams in this competition, history often repeating itself, as PSG’s quarter final record proves. Those odds are likely to tighten up a bit nearer kick off but if you ask the bookies it’s Barcelona taking home a win tonight.

Edison Cavani is 6/1 to open the scoring with Ibrahimovic out, and those who like internet betting in the UK, can get 9/5 on him scoring at some point during the game. Moura gets a 4/1 nod to his scoring in the match and Bahebeck gets the same 4/1 odds due to his recent impressive performances. Of course Messi and Neymar are also going to be heavily backed with Messi at 4/1 to open the scoring and Neymar just behind at 5/1. What’s more there’s a 4/1 option out there on Ivan Rakitic scoring and given his two goals in the last three games, that could be worth a punt.