PARIS ST GERMAIN were handed a free weekend to rest before they play in Barcelona in the second leg of the Champions League quarter finals.
And by the way Barca have been racking up wins, they are going to need all the help they can get.
There's some serious bad blood brewing between these clubs after the first leg in France where Barca edged a 3-2 lead. The Catalan club were particularly irked about being charged around £500 a ticket to bring family members and club representatives to the game and have reportedly hit back in a tit-for-tat move.
On the pitch, a clinical Barca fought back from going 2-1 down to claim a major advantage and Xavi's side are in fine form going into the second leg at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
The win at the Parc des Princes was their sixth in a row in all competitions and they haven't lost since the end of January. No one is suggesting this is prime Barca, but they are heading in the right direction.
PSG know only a win will do here and to be fair, their home defeat was their first loss since November. But they will need their big-name stars to be on top of their game if they are not going to fall short yet again in the Champions League.
How the bookies view it
Barcelona don't have to win of course and that may be why they are odds-against at 6/5 with Paddy Power.
PSG can be backed at 2/1 with bet365 to pull off the win they need and the draw is 3/1 with William Hill.
Recent head to head
Barcelona won 3-2 last week as stated in the first leg and they have now won six meetings compared with four PSG wins and four draws.
Players to watch
Robert Lewandowski had a nice rest after being suspended for Barca's weekend win at Cadiz. The veteran Pole has scored 23 goals this season for club and country and is 13/10 to score anytime with 10bet.
Kylian Mbappe is sure of a torrid reception with his summer transfer to Real Madrid all but confirmed and he will be desperate to show Barca what to expect next season. He is 11/10 to add to his 38 goals this season with bet365.
Anything else catch the eye?
This should be another classic between two of the heavyweight clubs in the competition.
Barca may have one eye on their showdown with Real Madrid at the weekend and will be without the suspended duo of Sergi Roberto and Andreas Christensen.
But the hosts should have enough to get the draw they need to progress against a PSG side who always seem to fall short when it matters.
With so much attacking talent on display, this should be another goalfest – both teams are likely to be going for it and William Hill's both teams to score in the second half at 6/4 looks to have a great chance.
There were six bookings in the first leg and with the mentioned bad blood between the sides, UniBet;'s 3/4 for over 4.5 cards looks as solid as you can get.
This UEFA Champions League match between Barcelona and PSG will be played on Apr 16, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Barcelona vs PSG prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
