The Reasons Why FC BARCELONA will SMASH PSG
Why Barça can progress past PSG
Many pundits assess Barcelona's chances in the clash against PSG as rather low - the team from Paris has Kylian Mbappe and this seems to immediately minimize all strengths of Xavi's side...
But what if we say that Barça is the stronger team in this pair that will be able not only to progress past PSG, but also to take the Champions League trophy!
Let us explain why.
COACHING DUEL
The face-off between the two Barcelona legends as coaches makes up one of the main intrigues of this epic battle!
LUIS ENRIQUE VS XAVI! Now this is something to be excited about!
Both managers use "Barcelona football" in their respective clubs - for example, here's what Luis Enrique did in the Coupe de France tie against Nice - pay attention to where Hakimi is positioned, while the team is built according to the 3-2-5 formation, and here’s how Barça attacked during the match against Las Palmas - looks familiar, right? TOTAL FOOTBALL, which is based on ball possession with the use of sharp lunges at quick interceptions! It is common for Barça and PSG to have a ball possession rate of 60%+ in their games.
Will Xavi be able to outplay Luis Enrique? Back in early February, we would have said "NO", but now the Catalans boss finds a way to best his opponents in almost every single match, which is why Blaugrana fans should be optimistic - since Xavi announced his departure, his boys hasn't lost any of the 11 fixtures, winning 8!
The first leg will take place at the Parc des Princes and Xavi can take advantage of this factor - the fans will push their team forward and Barcelona will just have to play defensively and through sharp counterattacks, where the speed of Yamal and Raphinha will be given the main role, as well as the experience of Lewandowski, Gündogan and Frenkie. You've seen the holes in the Red and Blues defense if one intercepts the ball in a situation like this, haven't you?
However, the main task will be to stop Mbappe and Dembele, which brings us to point #2.
Mbappe and Dembele
Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele are the superweapons of modern PSG - fast dribbling demons capable of destroying any defensive line if you give these guys too much space.
So, here is the first challenge for Barça - space. Reducing the space for two stars from Paris will greatly increase the Catalans' chances of reaching the semi-finals. Xavi will definitely be considering ways to shut down Mbappe and Dembele and, in our opinion, Barça's manager may prepare an interesting surprise by putting a nominal centre-back as a left-back, simply because João Cancelo does not appear to be a strong contender to face Dembele.
Let's think of the most likely scenario, according to which Enrique will put Mbappe on the left and Dembele on the right. Jules Kounde has gained phenomenal form and seems ready even for a duel versus Kylian, while Araujo will play right centre-back and will always be willing to back up his partner. Cubarsi will take the left centre-back position, where he will have to keep an eye on the fast left-back - well, probably not Inigo Martinez, since it will be impossible for him to outrun Ousmane; Balde with his "super-sonic" speed would definitely come in handy here, but he is injured - luckily, there is a rather interesting option with Barça Athletic centre-back Mikayil Faye, a 19-year-old prospect who has already been called up for first-team fixtures a couple of times - Xavi is impressed with the player's potential, with him being physically strong, fast and technical - he is very confident on the ball and his passing is rated quite high. There is still a chance to go with 17-year-old Hector Fort, but he is significantly weaker than Dembele in terms of physicality... If Xavi actually decides to involve Faye, then we predict Cancelo starting the game in the midfield.
Now imagine what kind of block Xavi can build against PSG even without Balde. Ter Stegen - Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Faye - Christensen - Gündogan, Cancelo - Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha. Nominally, Barça will feature 6 defenders, but this will prove to be a fairly reliable plan for the first leg, when Mbappe and Dembele will need to be neutralized and shown that they have no chance. Stopping Mbappe and Dembele equals advancing to the next round of the Champions League! Do you agree?
BARCELONA STEP UP
The next point of Barcelona's advantage lies in the fact that all the team's leaders turned on the turbo mode in the second half of the season. All of the squad players mention the increased intensity of their training sessions, with many going to the gym and practicing on the pitch even on days-off!
Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Lewandowski and Raphinha have especially had their performances improved!
With the return of Ter Stegen, Barça has restored calmness in the defensive line - the Catalans have 5 clean-sheets in their last 6 matches!