Match Details
BAR vs PSG, Champions League
Camp Nou
Wednesday, February 17, 2021 01:30 AM
In the Champions League 2021, we have Barcelona squaring off against Paris Saint-Germain at Camp Nou.
Barcelona vs Paris Saint-Germain Dream11 Preview
Amid off-the-pitch tensions regarding the future of Lionel Messi, the Argentine’s current club Barcelona face off against his admirers Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday night at Camp Nou.
The visitors have made no secret of their desire to bring Messi to the Parc des Princes, but the 33-year-old did not let the speculation affect him on Saturday as his two goals helped propel Barcelona to a 5-1 La Liga victory over Alaves.
PSG also warmed up for this game in optimal fashion with a 2-1 triumph over Nice in Ligue 1, although Mauricio Pochettino‘s side were under the cosh for portions of the tie and will have to deal with several absentees for the trip to Catalonia.
The most recent meeting between Barcelona and PSG at Camp Nou will continue to be talked about for years to come, as the Catalan giants overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit to win 6-1 and progress in the 2016-17 Champions League campaign, but this tie will unfortunately be devoid of a similar atmosphere with the pandemic still raging.
With several world-class superstars on show and others missing for the first leg, Sports Mole picks a combined XI from both squads, using only players expected to be available for the match.
Starting off with potentially the most difficult selection of the lineup, having to choose between Keylor Navas or Marc-Andre ter Stegen as our number one was not straightforward at all. PSG’s shot-stopper has not had the best luck with injuries this term, but 11 clean sheets from 16 Ligue 1 appearances – with only seven goals conceded – is a testament to the 34-year-old’s long-lasting quality. Ter Stegen has also spent time on the sidelines this season and has recorded just seven shut-outs in all competitions compared to Navas’s 13, but the German has saved Barcelona on countless occasions since his 2014 arrival and just edges out his fellow guardian.
Sergi Roberto cemented his place in footballing folklore when he scored Barca’s sixth goal in La Remontada against PSG, but the versatile Spaniard may not get the chance to repeat his heroics as he is doubtful with a muscular problem. Roberto’s teammate Sergino Dest has struggled to keep fit as well, and while Alessandro Florenzi’s attacking output for PSG (two goals and one assist) could be improved, he gets the nod in defence. Fellow PSG defender Layvin Kurzawa is enjoying an unexpected revival in the team, but Jordi Alba – who has already set up 10 goals this season – was a routine selection at left-back.
PSG captain Marquinhos was at fault for Nice’s leveller on Saturday, but as the leader of the rearguard that has conceded just 15 league goals all season – as well as a mere six in the Champions League – he marshals the defence in our combined XI. He is joined by teammate Presnel Kimpembe, who made one of the tackles of the season in December’s draw with Lille and has been integral to PSG’s resilient defence this term. Barcelona’s Gerard Pique and Ronald Araujo would have been considered were they not injured, while Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti and Abdou Diallo miss out
Tondela Squad
Joel Sousa, Pedro Trigueira, Babacar Niasse, Bebeto , João Paulo Marques Gonçalves, Tiago Melo Almeida, Filipe Ferreira, Enzo Martínez, Yohan Tavares, Naoufel Khacef, Abdel Medioub, Ricardo Alves, Jaquité , Pedro Augusto, João Pedro , Jaume Grau, Olabe , Rafael Barbosa, Arcanjo, Salvador , Jhon Murillo, Tomislav Strkalj, Mario González, Souleymane Anne
Maritimo Squad
Amir Abedzadeh, Caio Gobbo Secco, Francesco Anacoura, Charles , Pedro Mateus, Cláudio Winck, Lucas Áfrico , Zainadine Júnior , Rene Ferreira Dos Santos, Tim Soderstrom, China , Andreas Karo, Leonardo de Andrade Silva, Gonçalo Duarte, Marcelo Hermes, Moises Castillo Mosquera, Jean , Rafik Guitane, Stefano Beltrame, Diego Moreno, Jean Cleber , Franck-Yves Bambock, Mohamed Medfai, Andre Teles, Pedro Pelágio, Diego Gomes dos Santos, Jorge Correa, Rodrigo Pinho, François-Xavier Fumu Tamuzo, Edgar Costa, Faiq Jefri Bolkiah, Milson , Kibe, Ruben Macedo, Sassá , Johnson Oppong Owusu, Ali Alipour, Joel , Marcelo
Barcelona Playing 11 (Expected)
- Marc-André ter Stegen
- Samuel Umtiti
- Óscar Mingueza
- Jordi Alba
- Júnior Firpo
- Sergio Busquets
- Pedri
- Frenkie de Jong
- Lionel Messi
- Antoine Griezman
Paris Saint-Germain Playing 11 (Expected)
- Keylor Navas
- Abdou Diallo
- Marquinhos
- Layvin Kurzawa
- Alessandro Florenzi
- Neymar
- Leandro Paredes
- Marco Verratti
- Moise Kean
- Kylian Mbappé
- Ángel Di María
Barcelona (BAR) – IMP Players
- Jordi Alba
- G Piqe
- Frenkie de Jong
- M Pjanic
- Lionel Messi
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) – IMP Players
- Keylor Navas
- Marquinhos
- Ángel Di María
- D Pereria
- Neymar
BAR vs PSG – Recent Form
Barcelona: W W W W W
Paris Saint-Germain: W W W L W
Hammered by Bayern Munich Last Season
It is imperative that Barca make good progress in this year’s competition after the humiliation of their 8-2 thrashing by Bayern Munich in a one-off quarterfinal tie last August.
There were five straight wins for Barca in this season’s group stage before a 3-0 defeat by Juventus allowed the Italians to finish top of the table.
Reigning French champions PSG are currently second in Ligue 1 – a point behind leaders Lille.
