Written by Damien Kayat for @Hollywoodbets.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona | Tuesday 30 September | Parc des Princes | 20:45
PSG meet Barcelona in a titanic clash that really sees the Champions League swing into full tension. Laurent Blanc’s side have been a steadily improving European entity and have considerable experience against their highly vaunted rivals. They will, however, be without the talismanic figure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, due to a persistent heel injury. The importance of the Swede cannot be understated, a fact that Luis Enrique will no doubt be addressing in his preparations. Lionel Messi passed 400 goals for Barcelona on the weekend while fellow South American superstar Neymar bagged an impressive hat-trick. Another fact that adds decorative narrative gloss is that Luis Enrique and Laurent Blanc were actually teammates at Barcelona for a brief spell in the mid-90s. So the stage is set for another multi-layered European confrontation.
To Win (90mins)
Paris Saint-Germain 28/10
Draw 5/2
Barcelona 9/10
Paris Saint-Germain
PSG have not enjoyed the greatest start to their Ligue A campaign, having only bagged fourteen out of a possible 24 points on offer thus far. Laurent Blanc’s side have been without the defensive rock that is Thiago Silva whilst attempting to assimilate the unpredictable David Luiz into the mix. They are under added pressure here considering their slightly controversial draw against Ajax in the first round of fixtures. Edinson Cavani will be charged with leading the line in Ibra’s absence, while Javier Pastore will likely play just behind him and look to use his considerable pace to expose Barca.
It’s not only the absence of Ibra that is a worry, Lavezzi has also been ruled out for three weeks due to injury. This is an equally huge blow, especially considering the explosive pace and creativity of the Argentine playmaker. PSG are actually quite formidable in midfield, with Blaise Matuidi and Motta providing athleticism and stability in the middle of the park. But they will be hugely tested, especially under the weight of such heavy injuries, by a Barcelona side experiencing something of a rebirth in form.
Barcelona
Luis Enrique’s side were hardly inspirational in their opening match day win at home to Apoel. The fact that Pique was the goal scorer should demonstrate that they never quite found their irresistible rhythm. But the six they put past Granada on the weekend should be enough to demonstrate that they have started to regain some of their traditional fluidity. Perhaps more impressive is the fact that they have not conceded a goal in seven games. Jordi Alba returns to action while Douglas misses out due to injury. Jeremy Matheiu’s return to France lends additional intrigue to an already fascinating fixture.
So while their defence is looking sound, Enrique has the luxury of a host of attacking talents to choose from further up the field. Suarez is still to complete his ban, but the duo of Messi and Neymar are in absolutely devastating form. The thing that has always separated Messi from Ronaldo – in my mind – is the fact they he seems to exact as much pleasure from creating as scoring. His sheer influence on the game is unbelievable and I’m sure that PSG will feel that bit of genius this week. Rakitic has also fit into the side seamlessly, offering an excellent foil to all the attacking pedigree on display. Could this be the start of another Barcelona dynasty?
VERDICT: Barcelona 9/10
Luis Enrique has come out and said that PSG will still be extremely dangerous despite the absence of Zlatan. But don’t be fooled into thinking that Barcelona are not secretly delighted that they don’t have to mark the enigmatic Swede. Inspirational skipper Silva is also a huge miss, while Lavezzi completes a really powerful absent trio for the Parisian giants. Barcelona have been in excellent form of late and should be too strong against an unconvincing PSG outfit. I know this seems bold, but if the 9/10 on offer isn’t enough, greedy punters can consider the halftime-fulltime double here, with Barca winning both halves at 19/10.
The man knows his football, but even he gets it wrong from time to time. Feel free to share your view below.
