PSG vs. Barcelona: Key Issues That Will Shape Champions League Game

On Tuesday night, Paris Saint-Germain hosts FC Barcelona at the Parc des Princes in what is an absolutely mouth-watering clash between two of Europe’s most attractive sides. It also presents Laurent Blanc with a huge test of his management skills after what has been a slow start to the season.

PSG are still unbeaten this season, but they have been far from convincing. Their problems may have come while playing away from the French capital, but the 1-1 draw against Lyon showed that cracks are starting to creep into their home form.

The pressure on Blanc lifted slightly when they beat Caen 2-0 away from home on Wednesday, but the problems resurfaced on Saturday when they had to come from behind to gain a draw at Toulouse.

After Marseille’s 2-1 win over Saint-Etienne, PSG are now five points behind their biggest rivals, not the ideal preparation before facing one of Europe’s finest sides.

Luis Enrique’s men are also unbeaten in La Liga, but the Blaugrana are not facing the same issues as the Parisians. Six games played, with five wins and one draw, they have yet to concede a single league goal and have scored 17, including six against Granada in their warm up match on Saturday.

This will be PSG’s biggest test of the season. Any areas of weakness will definitely be put under extreme pressure and even the areas where they have impressed will be asked some huge questions.

Here are some key issues that will shape the Champions League game between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.

Biggest Test for Young Marquinhos

David Vincent/Associated Press

Marquinhos heads PSG 2-0 up over Caen.

There is little doubt that Brazilian defender Marquinhos has been one of Paris Saint-Germain’s best players this season. His opportunity has come due to Thiago Silva’s injury and David Luiz late return from the World Cup, but he has grabbed it with both hands.

On Tuesday, the prospect of facing Lionel Messi, Neymar and Pedro will provide Marquinhos with the biggest test of his career so far. Ironic that it comes against the team that tried to sign him this summer, as PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi told Le Parisien, via Stefan Coerts at Goal.com.

David Luiz was supposed to be the star of this duo with Silva out, but his 20-year-old teammate has been head and shoulders above the former Chelsea defender.

Marquinhos reads the game superbly well and rarely gets caught out of position. He has the pace to recover if the attack manages to get in behind—which is rare—and is dominant in the air, on both sides of the pitch.

However, facing Messi and Neymar is a world away from playing against Wissam Ben Yedder and Mathieu Duhamel.

On Saturday, Neymar scored a hat-trick and Messi grabbed a double as Barcelona ran rampant against Granada. If they are in the mood, it will be up to Marquinhos to show just why Barcelona showed interest this summer, and if he can keep the superstars at bay, his reputation will shoot through the roof.

This is a huge test for Marquinhos, but one which he will relish, the young defender has no fear, and he’ll need that attitude come Tuesday night.

Without Ibrahimovic the Pressure Is on Cavani

David Vincent/Associated Press

Cavani needs to step up for PSG.

When Barcelona knocked Paris Saint-Germain out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage during the 2012/13 season, the belief was that with a top striker to play alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Parisians may have ended the tie victorious.

That summer they went and signed Edinson Cavani to be that striker and come Tuesday, the pressure will be on the forward to repay some of the €64 million that PSG spent to bring him to Paris.

The problem for Cavani will be that he could be on his own as he takes on a Barcelona defence that has yet to concede a league goal this season.

Ibrahimovic has missed the last two league games with a heel problem and his situation will be assessed after the final training session on Monday, around 17:00 French time. Without the Swedish talisman, Cavani will play in the centre with Javier Pastore and Lucas Moura on either side.

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Le Parisien: Decision on Zlatan Ibrahimovic's fitness for PSG vs. Barcelona tomorrow to be taken after final training session at 17h00 today

— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) September 29, 2014"

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Le Parisien: Regardless of decision over Ibrahimovic's fitness, PSG coach Blanc planning for Barcelona match with Cavani, Lucas & Pastore.

— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) September 29, 2014"

When given the chance to be PSG’s most central striker, Cavani’s performances have been inconsistent. Although he didn’t find the net against Caen, he showed an increased work rate and played a huge part in the victory, but then days later he was almost invisible against Toulouse.

On Tuesday night there is no space for passengers against Barcelona. Everyone must play their part and put in 100 percent if PSG are to try and pick up a positive result. This is the sort of fixture that PSG need Cavani to be at his best, especially without Ibrahimovic to play as the focal point.

Without Ibrahimovic, they need the forward line to be cohesive, hard-working and overall, lively and dangerous around the box. Ibrahimovic provides a presence; Cavani needs to provide chances and goals.

Barcelona Will Ask Huge Questions of Marco Verratti

Michel Euler/Associated Press

Verratti needs to be at his best against Barcelona.

One of the biggest criticisms surrounding the play of young Italian midfielder Marco Verratti over the past few seasons has been his tendency to try and dribble his way out of trouble. This is especially apparent when he drops into his own penalty area and puts his team under unnecessary pressure.

This season he has shown signs of improvement, but it is a trait that still exists in his game. Going forward, he has been superb this season. His quick thinking and superb passing ability set up Jean-Christophe Bahebeck’s equalising goal on Saturday, his third assist of the season.

Last season he finished the season with only four assists during the entire league campaign, so it is encouraging to see the Italian pushing his game forward and looking to become a more creative force.

However, his tendency to overplay the ball at the back has put him into some problematic positions in Ligue 1 this season, against Barcelona he may not find it as easy to play his way out of trouble.

As his been tradition for Barcelona sides over the years, they always look to close the ball down quickly and the energy of Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic should give Verratti less time on the ball and force him to make some quicker decisions.

Like Marquinhos, Verratti has received a lot of praise for his performances this season, but these are the type of games were you need to raise your performances to another level. Playing against the best in Europe will either make or break you. When the pressure is on, you need to play to your strengths.

Verratti is much better when he looks up the pitch; he only puts PSG in trouble when he looks to go backward. On Tuesday night, Blanc needs the young midfielder to be his creative influence from deep, not add to the coach’s defensive worries.