By Goal.com News on Wednesday, 10 March 2021
Category: Goal.com News

LIVE: PSG vs Barcelona

35' HUGE CHANCE! That’s another golden opportunity wasted by Dembele, who has scuffed a close-range shot straight at Navas, after he was played in brilliantly by Griezmann.

34' There is only one scoreline that can send this tie to extra-time, and that would be if Barca went on to win 4-1 in the 90 minutes. The visitors started brightly, but find themselves heading for the exit door.

32' At the age of 22 years and 80 days, Mbappe has become the youngest player in Champions League history to reach 25 goals in the competition. He takes the record from Messi, who achieved the feat at the age of 22 years and 286 days.

29' The referee has gone to the screen to check. There was definitely contact from Lenglet, though it seemed entirely unintentional. However… the referee has awarded the penalty! It’s a spot-kick to PSG!

28' Icardi has gone down in a heap after trying to get onto a Kurzawa cross, which was hit straight to Ter Stegen. Icardi seems to be claiming there was contact from Lenglet, and VAR will check for a penalty.

27' Barca have already had 10 shots in this game. They only had 12 in the entirety of the first leg. Ten shots is also the most PSG have faced in the first half of any competition this term.

26' That is a silly tackle from Mingueza, who lunged in on Mbappe. If he had not already been booked, he would almost certainly have received a caution there. PSG – and in particular Mbappe – will surely be looking to target the centre-back now.

24' Another chance goes begging! Surely it can only be a matter of time for Barca? Dembele had space down the left and threaded a square ball across the box, but Messi could not get on the end of it. Moments later, Messi attempts an audacious bicycle kick, but doesn’t get the purchase on it to test Navas.

23' WHAT A SAVE! That is a brilliant stop from Navas! Dest got the better of Kurzawa and drilled an effort at goal, but PSG’s shot-stopper stuck up a hand and palmed it onto the crossbar. That’s a let off for the hosts.

22' Messi slips in Alba, whose cross is blocked. They take the corner short, but Pedri’s delivery is then overhit, and PSG watch it float safely out of play.

20' Well, it has certainly not been a cagey opening 20 minutes. Barca have been on top, though it is the five-time European champions who need to inject the impetus today.

18' Two chances for Barca! First, Mingueza headed wide from a corner, before Dembele again got through. He tries to send a low finish across Navas, but the former Real Madrid goalkeeper gets down to it.

16' Mbappe gets his first sighting of goal and duly takes on a shot, but it just lacks the power to really test Ter Stegen.

14' Barca’s starting XI has an average age of 26 years and 166 days. It is the youngest average age of a Blaugrana team in a Champions League knockout tie since they beat Stuttgart 4-0 in March 2010 under Pep Guardiola.

12' PSG enjoy a sustained spell of pressure but with one stray pass, Barca get away on the counter. Dembele leads the charge but, after isolating a defender one-on-one, lashes his shot way wide.

9' Indeed, it is Messi who takes it. He gets his effort up over the wall, but it does not drop quickly enough, and Navas watches it sail over.

6' Today is Messi's 766th game in all competitions for Barcelona. He is one game away from equalling Xavi as the player with the most appearances for the club (767).

5' A first half-opening for Barca. Dembele displays a turn of pace to match Mbappe’s to get in behind PSG’s line. He cuts it back for the onrushing Messi, who is dropping off as a false nine, but the Argentine’s effort is blocked.

4' Another set-piece opportunity for PSG. Paredes again delivers, this time from a free-kick out on the left. His cross finds Gueye, who flicks a header over, though Barca’s marking was almost non-existent.

3' Barca’s issue is that, with their lead, PSG can afford to play on the counter, and utilise Mbappe’s pace to its full effect. The hosts look to do that right way, Mbappe getting down the left and combining with Verratti, whose attempted cross is blocked. Marquinhos connects with the resulting corner, but diverts his header away from goal and out for a goal-kick.

1' KICK-OFF! We are up and running at the Parc des Princes.

The teams are out on the pitch, and kick-off is moments away. Can Barca produce one of the most remarkable Champions League comebacks – again – or will PSG seal their place in the last eight?

Likewise, there is just the one alteration from Barca’s team in the first leg, as Ronald Koeman replaces Gerard Pique with Mingueza. That means Messi, who netted the opener before PSG ran riot, starts up front.

TEAM NEWS – BARCELONA SUBSTITUTES: Neto, Riqui Puig, Inaki Pena, Junior Firpo, Miralem Pjanic, Trincao, Konrad De la Fuente, Matheus Fernandes, Samuel Umtiti, Martin Braithwaite.

TEAM NEWS – BARCELONA (4-3-3): Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Sergino Dest, Oscar Mingueza, Clement Lenglet, Jordi Alba; Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets, Pedri; Antoine Griezmann, Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembele.

Mauricio Pochettino is still without Neymar, who has not been passed fit to face his former club. There is just one change from the team that started at Camp Nou 20 days ago, with Moise Kean, who scored in the first leg, out after testing positive for coronavirus. Draxler is his replacement.

TEAM NEWS – PSG SUBSTITUTES: Pablo Sarabia, Abdou Diallo, Ander Herrera, Colin Dagba, Angel Di Maria, Danilo Pereira, Edouard Michut, Rafinha, Mitchel Bakker, Timothee Pembele.

TEAM NEWS – PSG (4-3-3): Keylor Navas; Alessandro Florenzi, Marquinhos, Presnel Kimpembe, Layvin Kurzawa; Idrissa Gueye, Leandro Paredes, Marco Verratti; Julian Draxler, Mauro Icardi, Kylian Mbappe.

Barca, of course, are no strangers to mounting a famous comeback against PSG, though that was four years ago, with the backing of a full Camp Nou. This time around, they are at an empty Parc des Princes, and have already conceded four away goals, meaning a 4-0 win is the lowest margin of victory which can see them progress.

PSG have one foot into the quarter-finals thanks to their superb, Kylian Mbappe-inspired display in the first leg – the France sensation scoring a wonderful hat-trick to help last season’s finalists to a 4-1 triumph at Camp Nou.

Hello and welcome to LIVE coverage of Paris Saint-Germain v Barcelona in the Champions League!

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