Champions League: PSG vs Barcelona quarterfinals leg 1 betting preview

Familiar foes lock horns in the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday, April 10th as PSG plays host to Barcelona in the first leg. The kick-off is scheduled for 3 PM ET at the Parc des Princes. These two have met a total of 12 times in Europe’s most prized competition. Their most recent encounter was in 2020-21, with Paris running out 5-2 winners on aggregate in the Round of 16. These are a pair of very strong sides and it will be very interesting to see who comes out on top. Below, we’ll lay out the match preview and shed light on any injury concerns ahead of the opening tie.

PSG

By no surprise to anyone, PSG already has the Ligue 1 title essentially wrapped up, sitting 10 points clear at the top of second place Brest. While winning the French top flight is undoubtedly important to them, the Champions League is definitely the focus, especially considering Kylian Mbappe is set to leave for Real Madrid this summer. It could be their last chance at actually conquering the competition.

Luis Enrique’s men were second in Group F, compiling a 2-2-2 record against the likes of Dortmund, AC Milan, and Newcastle. By no means did PSG shine, but they did just enough to edge out Milan based on head-to-head, sending the Italian giants to Europa instead. The last 16 saw the Parisiens beat Real Sociedad 4-1 on aggregate. Mbappe has of course been the leading man in the competition for PSG, scoring six times in eight appearances.

Outside of Mbappe though, there’s minimal production in the final third, which isn’t exactly anything new. He is the backbone of this attack and that’ll be the case again on Wednesday when he lines up against Barca. Paris, who are unbeaten at home in the Champions League this term, enter as a -105 favorite at 888sport.

Barcelona

Barca is enjoying a respectable campaign overall, eight points back of Real Madrid in LaLiga while sitting as one of the remaining contenders in the Champions League. The Catalans finished atop Group H with a 4-0-2 record. FC Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Antwerp accompanied them in the pod. The Round of 16 presented a stiff test for Xavi’s group as they had to face Napoli.

A 1-1 stalemate in the opening leg set the stage for a must-watch return tie at Camp Nou where Barca very much got the job done, winning 3-1. Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Fermin Lopez all hit the back of the net and helped send their club through to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2019-20. When it comes to recent form, Barcelona is enjoying a 12-game unbeaten run, with just three draws during that span.

Barca hasn’t played since March 30th when they grabbed three points in a 1-0 victory over Las Palmas, therefore the Spanish outfit should come in fresh on Wednesday. Look for a plethora of different players to make their presence felt up top in the French capital, with Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Joao Felix all sitting on three goals apiece in the Champions League this season. The visitors are deemed an underdog in the first leg at soccer betting sites.

PSG vs Barcelona injury news

Paris has essentially a full-strength squad here, with Presnel Kimpembe, Layvin Kurzawa, and Sergio Rico their only absences. For Barca, Alejandro Balde and Gavi are still sidelined indefinitely. Pedri, Andreas Christensen, and Frenkie de Jong all have the chance to return on Wednesday though from injuries. They’ve been training this week with the first team.