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PSG may have had a controversial first goal against Barcelona in the first leg, but at this point, all that matters is the 2-2 draw the Parisians will take with them to the Nou Camp on Wednesday night. A draw will do them no good, so needing to score will put some pressure on their players, but going up against an injury plagued Barcelona will give Ancelotti's men a glimmer of hope.
Unfortunately for Tito Vilanova, this big match will not have the presence of Javier Mascherano and Carles Puyol, who are both out due to injury. One other questionable player is Messi, who has been out with a thigh injury. His status for tomorrow's match is still unknown, although many believe he will be available.
With the absence of Mascherano and Puyol, Pique will most likely have either Marc Bartra, Alex Song or Adriano by his side. While Bartra does not have all that much experience, Alex Song can fill that void quite well.
Messi's unknown status could see Cesc Fabregas get the start in the attack along side David Villa. Another option in the Blaugrana offense, which will cause more than enough problems for Ancelotti's men could be Alexis Sanchez.
Regardless of who plays up top for the Spanish giants, Ancelotti will be well aware of what his side needs to do to keep Barcelona at bay. Doing that in the first leg clearly was not easy, so containing Xavi and co. at the Nou Camp will be even more difficult. If you need a reminder, check out some videos of Barcelona's comeback victory over AC Milan in the previous round.
Ibrahimovic will return to his old stomping grounds, and going against a likely makeshift central defense for the hosts, the PSG striker should see a few good opportunities throughout the match. Taking advantage of them is completely different, but if the Swedish international can take advantage of the one or two good chances he gets, this Barcelona side has shown that at times, they have their flaws and mental lapses.
Barcelona's Previous Matches
03-09-13 Barcelona 2-0 Deportivo La Coruna (La Liga)
03-12-13 Barcelona 4-0 AC Milan (UCL)
03-17-13 Barcelona 3-1 Rayo Vallecano (La Liga)
03-30-13 Celta Vigo 2-2 Barcelona (La Liga)
04-02-13 PSG 2-2 Barcelona (UCL)
04-06-13 Barcelona 5-0 Mallorca (La Liga)
PSG's Previous Matches
03-06-13 PSG 1-1 Valencia (UCL)
03-09-13 PSG 2-1 Nancy (Ligue 1)
03-17-13 St. Etienne 2-2 PSG (Ligue 1)
03-29-13 PSG 1-0 Montpellier (Ligue 1)
04-02-13 PSG 2-2 Barcelona (UCL)
04-06-13 Rennes 0-2 PSG (Ligue 1)
Prediction
With or without Messi, this PSG side has enough talent to cause problems for Vilanova's men, but that all depends on how they approach the match. If they are going to try and sit deep and look for the counter attack as AC Milan did, then they could be in for a long night.
Playing on the counter attack will obviously be important for the visitors, but inviting the Blaugrana to the top of the 18-yard-box without much pressure on the ball could spell danger.
If Messi does not start the match, that will certainly give the PSG players an injection of confidence knowing how important the Argentine is, but if anything, the pressure is all on the hosts.
They have built an empire over the years that has set the bar of expectations incredibly high. Anything less than a championship is a failure, making Wednesday's match a must win. Can PSG defy all odds and break Barcelona's streak of another year in the final four, or will Vilanova's side prove that PSG still has a ways to go before being among Europe's elite?
Barcelona 3-1 PSG
