PSG vs. Barcelona: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info for UCL Round of 16
Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona will meet at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday in one of the standout ties of the UEFA Champions League last 16.
The Ligue 1 champions will be keen to take advantage of having the first leg on home soil, as the atmosphere will be electric in the French capital for this meeting. It's the kind of occasion the club drafted in manager Unai Emery for, with the coach previously excelling on the European stage.
Barcelona, by contrast, will fancy their chances of taking an away goal and a positive result back to Catalonia. If they do that, PSG will find it extremely difficult to turn the tie around.
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While these two sides have gone head-to-head frequently in the Champions League in recent seasons, any tussle between them is not to be missed.
Here is the key information on where to catch the match, the latest team news ahead of the game and a closer look at how this first leg will play out.
Date: Tuesday, February 14
Time: 7:45 p.m. (GMT), 2:45 p.m. (ET)
TV Info: BT Sport (UK), FOX Sports (U.S.)
Live Stream: BT Sport website (UK), FOX Soccer 2GO (U.S.)
Team News
PSG: Emery rested Thiago Silva for Friday's showdown with Bordeaux, and the captain will likely return to partner Marquinhos in central defence. The manager has some big decisions in midfield, especially with Thiago Motta suspended.
Likely XI: Kevin Trapp; Thomas Meunier, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Layvin Kurzawa; Marco Verratti, Blaise Matuidi, Adrien Rabiot; Angel Di Maria, Julian Draxler, Edinson Cavani
Barcelona: In a big boost for manager Luis Enrique, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets are ready to feature again following their recent injury layoffs. Elsewhere in the side, Sergi Roberto will step in for the injured Aleix Vidal, while Ivan Rakitic will most likely get the nod in midfield.
Likely XI: Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, Jordi Alba; Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic; Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar
Player information courtesy of Transfermarkt.
Match Preview
On their way to glory in the 2014-15 edition of the Champions League, Barcelona turned in a masterful performance against PSG at the Parc des Princes, with Luis Suarez bagging a brace in a 3-1 win.
Since then, plenty has shifted at the Camp Nou. While the vibrant trio of Suarez, Messi and Neymar continue to purr, in midfield there has been a strive for balance that has allowed opponents to get at the Blaugrana and take a foothold in contests.
It's imperative Enrique's side rediscover that edge on Tuesday, although they at least have a safety net in the form of their forward trident.
Per Ben McAleer of WhoScored.com, Messi, in particular, has been exceptional in European competition:
Like Barcelona, PSG have endured something of an identity crisis at times this season under Emery, although they are beginning to get their act together.
The January acquisitions of Julian Draxler and Goncalo Guedes have helped breathe fresh impetus into the team, providing fierce competition for attacking places in the starting XI. However, the latter is ineligible after playing for Benfica in the group stage.
After a difficult campaign, Di Maria is also beginning to find his best again. Per the Champions League Twitter feed, he's been back among the goals again recently:
Di Maria has also spoken about the challenge he and his team-mates face in stopping Messi from having a major impact on the match. "I always say the same thing: that Messi is different to the rest and when he is good, they [his team-mates] are good," he said, per Marca's Pablo Polo. "[Messi, Suarez and Neymar] are the best attack in the world, at this time."
A fascinating contest is in store in Paris. PSG are strong at home, have been slowly building momentum and in Edinson Cavani, they have one of the most in-form strikers around at the moment; the Uruguayan has 25 goals in 23 Ligue 1 matches.
But Barcelona are so dangerous in these two-legged ties, as they're capable of taking the game away from their opponents with a couple quickfire strikes in the away fixture. A victory may be beyond them here, but they will be in control of the tie in the second leg at the Camp Nou.
Prediction: Paris Saint-Germain 2-2 Barcelona
