PSG vs Barcelona live on March 10, 2021: Can the Blaugrana pull off another remontada?

March 9, 2021 By Ali M.

Topics: TV Schedules, PSG, Barcelona, UEFA Champions League

The Blaugrana head to the Parc des Princes with the dream of overturning the 4-1 deficit. Here's a preview of PSG vs Barcelona.

PSG vs Barcelona – preview

The second leg of PSG vs Barcelona is upon us. After the huge victory the Ligue 1 giants achieved in the reverse encounter, the question on everyone's mind is whether the Blaugrana can pull off another historic comeback against Les Parisiens. The Parc des Princes will be the venue for this highly-anticipated showdown, with these two European giants set to battle it out aat 3 p.m. ET for one last time for a spot in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

The Catalan giants stand a small chance of securing progression, entering this clash with a staggering 4-1 deficit. However, their form has been excellent and has tremendously boosted their confidence. In their last seven games, Koeman's men have lost only once at that was the first leg defeat at the Camp Nou. In fact, in their last 14 fixtures, Messi and Co. have suffered only one other defeat and that was the 2-0 downfall in the Copa del Rey semi-final vs Sevilla, which they made up for.

Since then, a lot has changed for the club. Barcelona went from a team in danger of going trophyless for the second season running to booking their spot in the Copa del Rey final, moving within two points of La Liga leaders Atletico, and dreaming of another European remontada. Their King's Cup success over Sevilla made the headlines as the Blaugrana pulled off an unforgettable comeback, with Gerard Pique scoring a last-gasp equalizer to overturn the 2-0 deficit before going on to win the match 3-2 on aggregate.

As a result, the overall mood at the club and among the fan base is positive. This is not simply due to the Copa del Rey comeback as the club have finally elected a president, filling the throneless Camp Nou. Joan Laporta was named the victor of the recent elections, having returned after leading the Spanish giants to four league crowns, two UCL titles, and three Spanish Super Cups – as well as other trophies – during his presidency from 2003 to 2010.

Unfortunately for the visitors, there is little to suggest PSG will crumble. Since the 4-1 win, they have lost a game, going down 2-0 at home to Monaco in Ligue 1 but the hosts have won their last three outings in a row, scoring eight while conceding zero. Neymar has been ruled out of this tie, with the Brazilian being unable to recover in time, which is undoubtedly a huge blow.

However, given how well Kylian Mbappe performed on his own against Barcelona, Les Parisiens may not even miss the Selecao sensation. The Frenchman was undoubtedly the Man of the Match in the 4-1 victory, with the 2018 World Cup winner scoring a historic hat-trick at the Camp Nou. Will he tear apart the Blaugrana once again? Tune in to find out.

Team news

PSG: As mentioned above, Neymar will play no part in this tie but he isn't the only key player to miss out on the second leg. Moise Kean is out after contracting COVID-19 while Juan Bernat is recovering from an ACL injury. Florenzi should be back for the second leg, which is a huge boost,

Barcelona: Koeman has a selection headache in defense as he will be without Gerard Pique, Ronald Araujo, and Sergi Roberto due to injuries. Fati and Coutinho have not yet returned for the Blaugrana, meaning Braithwaite, Griezmann, Messi, and Dembele are the key attackers available, with the latter two set to start in a 3-4-1-2 formation.

Key stats

No team has ever progressed from a knockout round after losing the first leg by 3-0 at home.
PSG's biggest home win in the UCL knockout stage was their 4-0 triumph over Barcelona in 2017.
The Blaugrana have won only once in their last nine away games in the Champions League knockout stage (D3, L5), scoring only three times in those nine outings.