It only seemed inevitable. Zlatan Ibrahimovic simply cannot avoid Barcelona. The big Swede had to contend with Lionel Messi & Co. on numerous occasions whilst at AC Milan - in fact, so often that many Rossoneri fans believed that it would not be a Champions League tournament without the usual trip to Camp Nou.
And now at PSG, featuring in the Champions League with a sixth different team, the 33-year-old again finds his former team standing between him and progress towards the one club trophy that has eluded him all these years. To make matters worse, due to a controversial red card received following a foul on Chelsea's Oscar, he will not be able to help his colleagues as they welcome the Catalan giants to the Parc des Princes.
Zlatan and Barcelona - a re-occuring theme in the Champions League story
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Barca are no strangers to each other, but he will have to wait till next week to face them yet again at Camp Nou
However, a closer look may reveal that despite the huge blow Les Parisiens could suffer offensively without the talismanic Swedish star, all may not be lost. For starters, they clearly showed that they can pull through sans his presence and even do it away from home as Blues supporters were clearly made away of last month at Stamford Bridge.
Devoid of Ibrahimovic's talents, Edinson Cavani was unable to find the back of the net, but two impressive goals from Brazilian duo Thiago Silva and David Luiz were enough to send Blanc's men through at the cost of the 2012 Champions League winners. As such, it is not entirely surprising that some of his teammates believe they can pull off another impressive result in Paris tonight.
No Ibra? No problem, according to Brazilian defender Maxwell:
.@maxwellscherrer "Nous pouvons compter sur @PochoLavezzi, @Javi_Pastore et @ECavaniOfficial. Ce sont des joueurs importants pour nous."
— PSG Officiel (@PSG_inside) April 14, 2015
We can rely on Ezequiel Lavezzi, Javier Pastore, and Edinson Cavani. They are important players for us"
Of course, Maxwell's comments during PSG's pre-match press conference are practical and naturally optimistic. No one wants to admit their weaknesses, at least not ahead of a match which will test their resolve from start to finish.
The Parc des Princes has proven to be a fortress against the Blaugrana
Few would be willing to deny that Barcelona are a better side overall than the London giants. Statistically, though, the Blaugrana - dating back to their first meeting in the 1990's - have not enjoyed the dominance many would expect against one of France's biggest clubs.
HOME "COURT" ADVANTAGE: Barcelona are yet to find a way past PSG in the French capital
Indeed, despite many picking Luis Enrique's side as the favourites to progress, PSG are no slouch, either. In their past six meetings, Barcelona have only been able to defeat the French champions once, during their group stage match last year at Camp Nou.
More important, they have met twice at this stage in the tournament: during the 1994/1995 and 2012/2013 campaigns. The first two quarter-finals clashes finished as a 3-2 aggregate win in favour of Paris Saint-Germain. A 2-1 win at the Parc des Princes followed by a 1-1 stalemate at the Camp Nou was enough to set them up for a semi-final meeting with Milan. And more recently, Barcelona only progressed to the semi-finals due to their advantage on away goals as both ties finished as 2-2 in Paris and 1-1 in Barcelona.
Les Parisiens fans will also note that the 3-2 group stage win last year was achieved without Ibrahimovic, who was recovering from injury. Additionally, they do indeed enjoy one of the strongest records at home in European competitions, with 33 matches sans defeat since 2006.
Missing key men in midfield and defense
Moving from offense to defense, David Luiz is another key player whose absence will be troubling. After struggling initially, the former Chelsea man has settled in nicely in the French capital alongside national teammate Thiago Silva an has grown into a fan favourite with his solid displays for Blanc's side.
David Luiz and Thiago Silva have been both key for PSG this season as they chase four trophies
Unfortunately, he suffered a hamstring injury and was supposedly due to miss out for several weeks, but this latest update from his manager indeed has fans talking:
L.Blanc "Tout comme Motta @DavidLuiz_4 récupère plus rapidement que prévu de sa blessure." #PSGFCB
— PSG Officiel (@PSG_inside) April 14, 2015
"David Luiz has recovered faster than first thought from his injury"
Although he was named in the match-squad, the Brazilian star is really unlikely to be even able to take to the pitch, but young defender Marquinhos has proven to be more than an apt deputy and was even part of the starting XI that took on Messi and his teammates in Paris back in September.
Marquinhos has performed well when called upon and has replaced even Thiago Silva on occasions this season
Still, another blow for Blanc will be the absence of Italian midfielder Marco Verratti. Widely regarded as the "next Pirlo" by the media in his home country, the former Pescara youngster has been in top form for his team but has a frustrating tendency to rack up silly fouls and ensuing yellow cards. It will indeed be interesting to see how the French tactician tinkers with his formation to compensate for his absence through suspension.
Yet there is the commonly used (over-used, perhaps) statement: "Once you have done something, you can do it again". PSG has already defeated Barcelona at their home ground this season and despite the rampant form of Barcelona's attack, the Blaugrana have shown through their own league and continental campaigns that they are not unbeatable.
Key for them will of course be to respect Luis Enrique's side, but not to fear them as conceding an away goal against their Spanish opponents could be obviously detrimental to their hopes towards making it into the last four of this year's competition.
