Champions League

Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona from 9pm LIVE

(Bild: AFP or licensors)

First leg of the Champions League quarter-final: Paris Saint-Germain face FC Barcelona. We report live (ticker below). Current score: 3:2 for Barcelona.

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Luis Enrique dismissed the most spectacular victory as Barcelona coach as unimportant ahead of the reunion with his former club. "La Remontada" - the Catalans' legendary 6:1 win over Paris Saint-Germain - "didn't help us win the Champions League", emphasized the Spaniard, who now works for the French side. Seven years later, PSG will face Barça again in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The first leg will be played today at the Parc des Princes in Paris.

Luis Enrique(Bild: APA/AFP/FRANCK FIFE)

"Hatred" between PSG and Barca
The explosive clash was already stirring up emotions in the run-up. The French sports newspaper "L'Équipe" even wrote of "hatred" about the relationship between the two big clubs. The organized fan scene of the Parisians called for the Princes Park to be turned into a "more than hostile terrain" for the visitors. It remains to be seen what Luis Enrique thinks of the call with the martial words. The 53-year-old played eight years as a professional at FC Barcelona and was head coach of the Blaugrana for three seasons from 2014. "Playing against Barcelona is difficult for me emotionally, but it's also stimulating," said Luis Enrique.

He created a reason for the great rivalry in 2017. Paris beat Barcelona 4:0 in the first leg of the round of 16 and promotion seemed a mere formality. Lionel Messi and Co. struck back in the second leg, however, scoring the sixth goal deep into stoppage time to secure promotion. In the quarter-finals, Barcelona were then soundly defeated by Juventus Turin. PSG gained revenge for the ignominy of that defeat in 2021, with Kylian Mbappe scoring three goals in the decisive 4-1 win in the first leg of the round of 16 at Camp Nou. But the memories of 2017 remain.

Xavi relies on talent and confidence
Things are likely to get heated again on the pitch in the rematch. Barcelona are waiting for their sixth title in Europe's top club competition since their triumph in 2015. The defending champions are eight points behind Real Madrid in La Liga and were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey. Coach Xavi Hernandez will leave his post after the season. He knows Luis Enrique very well, he noted. "It's time to dream and show that we can compete with one of the best teams in Europe," said Xavi. PSG are "perhaps the favorites", he noted. His young team lacks experience at this stage. "But we have a lot of talent and confidence."

Xavi(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Xavi can currently be satisfied. Barcelona are unbeaten in eleven games and have not conceded a goal in five games in the league. Now a completely different caliber is coming with Mbappe. For the 25-year-old, it will also be an introduction to what awaits him if he moves to Real Madrid. But before that, he wants to lead PSG to their long-awaited first triumph in the Champions League. "This is the moment for the great players," Mbappe told Téléfoot ahead of the game against Barcelona. "I'm ready and, as always, I won't hide."