PSG can repeat heroics when Barcelona visit in Champions League
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Paris St-Germain must surely forge a first-leg lead in their Champions League quarter-final tie against Barcelona if the French champions are to end up progressing at the Spaniards’ expense.
Odds of 19/5 on the home side would appear to place that mission in grave jeopardy, with Barca strong 3/4 favourites to leave Paris in the red, while the draw is a 14/5 chance.
Luis Enrique’s mob will attract plenty of wonga too, being one of the form team’s on the continent.
A La Liga draw at Sevilla halted an 11-game winning streak for the mighty Catalan club, who have cruised into a record eighth consecutive Champions League quarter final.
However, chinks can be found in even the strongest armour and PSG have a few factors making them particularly attractive choices in the match bet market, or at the very least, giving them a double chance at 1/1.
Laurent Blanc’s men played Chelsea off the park in their round-of-16, second-leg victory to set up this encounter, but far more importantly, the blueprint for victory has already been laid this season.
PSG and Los Blaugrana were pitched together in the group stages and their Parc des Princes appointment saw the French side run out 3-2 winners in a thrilling contest.
Although Barca returned the favour at the Camp Nou with a 3-1 triumph, that home result will have created a firm belief the feat can be repeated in the last eight.
Other stats of note also cast doubt over the visitors’ favouritism, such as the length of PSG’s unbeaten streak at home in European competition which now stretches like a giraffe’s neck to 33 games.
French soil is also unfavoured for the Spanish giants of late too, with none of Barca’s last four trips to the country ending in victory.
Finally for PSG, who have only tasted defeat once in 20 games, the absence of banned top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovich could well have the opposite effect on proceeding to the damaging one many would assume.
In 17 games without their talisman appearing this season, they are yet to be be beaten.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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