PSG vs Barcelona betting tips, BuildABet, best bets and preview
Football betting tips: Champions League
2pts Kylian Mbappe to score anytime at 20/21 (bet365)
1pt Frenkie de Jong to be shown a card at 11/2 (Sky Bet)
The Parc des Princes provides the backdrop as Luis Enrique reacquaints himself with his former employers.
Paris Saint-Germain are sitting pretty domestically, 10pts clear of second, and Lyon await them in the Coupe de France final at the end of May.
Having cruised past Real Sociedad 4-1 on aggregate in the last round and with everything on the domestic front just about taken care of, could this be the year Les Parisiens conquer Europe?
Barcelona stand in their way, La Blaugrana are amidst an 11-game unbeaten run which includes the 3-1 demolition of Serie A champions Napoli in the last round and a 3-0 win against Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium.
Coincidently, this run coincides with Xavi’s resignation announcement. Barca’s boss said he will be stepping down at the end of the season after Barcelona’s 5-3 loss to Villareal and his side have not tasted defeat since.
What are the best bets?
Domestically, KYLIAN MBAPPE has had a hand in 30 of his side's 65 goals this term and on the continent, he has netted six of PSG’s 13 goals.
With 276 goals in 356 appearances, the Frenchman knows where the net is but he seems to relish the big nights in Europe.
In 24 Champions League knockout appearances Mbappe has netted 15 goals, taking home the match ball once.
At a shade of odds on, his price TO SCORE ANYTIME on Wednesday appeals, especially considering he has already scored four times against Barca in two games.
Englishman Anthony Taylor has the whistle in Paris. He has been the most prolific referee in the Premier League this term (15 or more apps) so there could be plenty of cards on Wednesday night.
FRENKIE DE JONG’s price TO BE CARDED for these visitors stands out at 11/2, some firms have the same bet as short as 2/1.
The Dutchman has notched up nine yellows in 22 La Liga and Champions League appearances this term.
Two picked up in Europe means De Jong walks a tightrope in Paris, being only one card away from suspension, but the price is simply too large to ignore.
BuildABet @ 29/1
- Kylian Mbappe to score anytime
- Manuel Ugarte to be shown a card
- Frenkie de Jong to be shown a card
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Manuel Ugarte one of PSG's chief enforces averaging 3.9 tackles and 1.7 fouls a game, it is not a surprise to see he has seven cards to his name. Combining him to be booked, with a De Jong card and Mbappe goal provides some interest.
Team news
Presnel Kimpembe, Layvin Kurzawa and Sergio Rico are unavailable for the hosts due to injuries, Achraf Hakimi is suspended after picking up his third yellow card at Real Sociedad.
Captain Marquinhos should return at the heart of defence, the Brazilian missed eight games for PSG but returned via the bench at the weekend during his side's draw with Clermont Foot.
Ousmane Dembele should also return to the starting line-up after missing the last two games, the former Barca man should start on the right of a three man attack with Gonçalo Ramos through the middle and Mbappe on the left.
As for the visitors, Xavi will be without Gavi and Alejandro Balde. Pedri, Andreas Christensen and Frenkie de Jong all returned to training recently and the latter is expected to start in Paris.
16-year-old Lamine Yamal is expected to start in attack for Barca.
Predicted line-ups
Paris Saint-Germain: Donnarumma; Zaire-Emery, Marquinhos, Skriniar, Mendes; Lee, Ugarte, Vitinha; Dembele, Ramos, Mbappe
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Kounde, Cubarsi, Araujo, Cancelo; De Jong, Gundogan, Lopez; Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha
Match facts
- Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona have met 12 times previously in the UEFA Champions League, with the head-to-head record perfectly balanced at four wins each and four draws.
- Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona will meet in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League in a sixth different season; only Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich (9) and Real Madrid vs. Juventus (7) have been played in more editions of the competition at the knockout phase.
- One of the only three instances of Barcelona losing by four goals away from home in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League came against Paris Saint-Germain in February 2017 (also 4-0 defeats to Liverpool in May 2019 and FC Bayern München in April 2013).
- Paris Saint-Germain’s heaviest ever defeat in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League was inflicted by Barcelona (6-1 at the Camp Nou in March 2017) – a result which eliminated them in the round of 16, despite having led 4-0 from the first leg. Barcelona were managed by current Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique in that historic comeback, which remains the only time a team has progressed from a two-legged knockout stage tie in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League after losing the first leg by 4+ goals.
- This will be Barcelona’s first game in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League since August 2020, when they suffered their heaviest ever defeat in European competition (8-2 v FC Bayern München). They’ve only progressed from the quarter-finals in one of their last five attempts (2018-19 v Manchester United).
- Following victories in both round of 16 games against Real Sociedad, Luis Enrique could become just the second Paris Saint-Germain manager to win his first three knockout stage games in the UEFA Champions League, after Laurent Blanc in 2013-14.
- Only Thomas Müller (8) and Andriy Shevchenko (5) have scored more UEFA Champions League goals against Barcelona than Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappé (4), despite the Frenchman only facing them twice in the competition. Indeed, Mbappé is the only player in the competition’s history to score a hat-trick against Barcelona in the knockout stages (three goals in February 2021, in the round of 16).
- Barcelona’s Ilkay Gündogan has made more passes breaking the opposition’s defensive line than any other player in the UEFA Champions League this season (19). The German midfielder has also made three assists in the competition in 2023-24, with Jordi Alba in 2018-19 (5) the last Barcelona player to make more in a single campaign. [See next page for more]
- 91% of Kylian Mbappé’s touches in the UEFA Champions League this season have come while under pressure from an opposition player; the highest percentage in the current tournament (min. 50 touches). Indeed, the Paris Saint-Germain attacker has made more key passes under pressure than any other forward in the competition this term (15).
- Should he remain in the starting XI from the previous round, Pau Cubarsí would become the youngest defender to start a UEFA Champions League quarter-final match (17y 79d on the day of the game). Against Napoli last time out in the competition, Cubarsí was the Barcelona player with the highest pass completion rate (90% - 61/68) and the most line-breaking passes (14).
Odds correct at 1400 BST (09/04/24)
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