UCL preview: Liverpool travel to PSG & Barcelona take on Atletico
Dubai: The Champions League quarter-finals have delivered a mouthwatering set of fixtures, with PSG hosting Liverpool at the Parc des Princes, while Barcelona take on league rivals Atletico Madrid at the Nou Camp.
Both matches are scheduled to kick-off at 11pm (UAE Time).
PSG v Liverpool
The two sides last met in a thrilling round of 16 tie last season in the Champions League, with the French club coming out on top via penalties before going on to win the competition.
Just like last season, PSG were forced into a play-off to secure their place in the Champions League knockout stage after a disappointing 11th place finish in the league phase.
Coming up against French league rivals, Luis Enrique’s side scrapped past Monaco with a 3-2 win and a 2-2 draw enough to see the reigning champions book their place in the round of 16 against Chelsea.
PSG put what was a below par campaign behind them and performed to their true levels against Chelsea, stunning the Blue’s with a 5-2 win in the first-leg.
The win displayed the attacking talent within the PSG forward line with the likes of Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia all netting.
Enrique’s side didn’t take their foot off the gas in the second-leg leaving Stamford Bridge with a 3-0 win giving the team confidence heading into their match against Liverpool.
Liverpool have endured a disappointing campaign by their own high standards, with their Premier League title defence virtually non-existent and their performances in Europe often inconsistent.
Despite those struggles, they still managed to finish third in the league phase table of the Champions League, picking up notable victories over Real Madrid and Inter Milan along the way, showing flashes of the quality that defined them in previous seasons.
Their round of 16 tie saw Liverpool respond emphatically after a 1-0 first-leg defeat to Galatasaray, returning to Anfield to secure a dominant 4-0 victory thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike.
Yet, despite looking only half the side they were last season, Liverpool can travel to Paris with a sense of belief, having beaten PSG at the Parc des Princes in last year’s competition, even if they ultimately fell short over the two legs.
Barcelona v Atletico Madrid
In an all-Spanish tie Barcelona head into the game against Atletico as favourites given both their form domestically and in Europe this season.
Barcelona are currently setting the pace at the top of La Liga and look destined to cruise to yet another league title, underlining their domestic dominance this season. In the Champions League they have also impressed, finishing fifth in the league phase while securing statement victories over Olympiacos and Newcastle United, showcasing both their attacking firepower and resilience against top opposition.
It was Newcastle they met again in the round of 16, with Barcelona doing well to escape St James' Park with a 1-1 draw despite being dominated for large spells, before star man Lamine Yamal rescued them with a stoppage-time penalty.
The Catalan side then produced one of the standout performances of the competition in the return leg, dismantling the Geordies 7-2 at the Camp Nou to emphatically book their place in the next round.
Atletico Madrid are currently sitting fourth in La Liga, a staggering 19 points adrift of leaders Barcelona, underlining a largely underwhelming domestic campaign. Their struggles were also evident in the league phase of the Champions League, where a disappointing run saw them finish 14th after winning just four of their eight matches.
They were drawn against Club Brugge in the play-off round, with the Belgian side holding them to an entertaining 3-3 draw in the first-leg before Diego Simeone’s side responded emphatically with a commanding 4-1 victory in the return leg to set up a last-16 clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
Despite their inconsistency this season, Atletico produced one of their best performances of the campaign in the first-leg at the Metropolitano Stadium, blowing Spurs away in a thrilling 5-2 victory which ultimately proved decisive, even after a 3-2 defeat in the second-leg.
However, what will concern them heading into their next challenge is their most recent outing, a defeat to Barcelona in La Liga, highlighting the scale of the task ahead as they look to contain one of the most dangerous attacking sides in Europe.
