Convince the Blaugrana on the Seine?
The clash between PSG and Barcelona – we provide betting tips and odds in this article – has become a real classic. Only the clashes between Real Madrid and Bayern (nine) and Real Madrid and Juventus (seven) have taken place more often in the knockout phase of the Champions League than the clash between PSG and Barca, which is now taking place for the sixth time in the knockout round. The Rouges-et-Bleus last progressed in the round of 16 in 2020/21 with an aggregate score of 5:2.
The prediction that PSG will progress against Barcelona is also slightly higher among the bookmakers. After all, the Rouges-et-Bleus are currently unbeaten in 27 competitive matches (19 wins, eight draws) and have only lost one of their last twelve home games in the top flight (nine wins, two draws).
Currently, FC Barcelona are also unbeaten in eleven competitive matches in a row (eight wins, three draws). However, the knockout round of the Champions League has not been a good place for the Catalans in many respects, who have now gone eight knockout matches without another clean sheet. Moreover, the Blaugrana have only won three of their last eleven away games in the Champions League (two draws, six defeats).
The bet that the Parisiens will not lose this first leg is correspondingly consistent. As we do not expect a goal festival, we recommend the combined bet on the double chance 1X at under 3.5 goals. A coherent alternative, which does not rule out an away win for the Catalans, is the bet that the Rouges-et-Bleus will score a maximum of one goal. At ODDSET, odds of 1.93 are available for this bet
PSG – Statistics & current form
Paris Saint-Germain will most likely have to let superstar Kylian Mbappé leave for Real Madrid this summer. Regardless of this potentially bitter loss, the 2023/24 season has been excellent for the Rouges-et-Bleus so far.
With six matchdays to go in Ligue 1, they have a ten-point lead in second place, while PSG have also booked their place in the Coupe de France final. As a result, the capital club can now concentrate fully on the Champions League, where the trophy is still up for grabs. The Parisiens only made it to the final once in 2020 under Thomas Tuchel
PSG with a strong home record in the top flight
Although Luis Enrique’s side stumbled several times in the group stage and finished second in their group with just eight points, Paris Saint-Germain are now also playing a leading role in the Champions League Winners 2024 predictions.
Moreover, all bookmakers’ odds for PSG v Barcelona are pointing towards the Rouges-et-Bleus advancing, as they now want to lay the foundations for a place in the semi-finals in front of a home crowd. The home record speaks for itself. The team from the Seine have won nine of their last twelve Champions League home games (two draws, one defeat)
PSG go into this first leg with a long unbeaten streak
In addition, the team from the French capital has not lost a competitive match since November 2023. In total, they have now gone 27 competitive matches in a row without defeat (19 wins, eight draws). Nevertheless, the team led by superstar Kylian Mbappé, who has scored 32 goals in 34 home Champions League games (21 goals, 11 assists), did not cover themselves in glory on Saturday evening.
With numerous regular players rested, PSG were held to a 1-1 draw by Ligue 1 bottom side Clermont Foot in their dress rehearsal at the weekend, with Sergio Ramos scoring the equalizer five minutes from time to at least keep their unbeaten run alive. On the other hand, almost all the key players are likely to be fit.
PPG’s expected line-up:
Barcelona – Statistics & current form
Although FC Barcelona won the national championship last summer, they have had a particularly tough time in the Champions League. The Blaugrana, who have won the trophy five times in a row (most recently in 2015), failed to progress beyond the preliminary round twice in a row.
This is the first time the Catalans have reached the quarter-finals of the top flight since the 2019/20 season, when Barça crashed out of the competition four years ago with an 8-2 defeat to Bayern. They then reached the last 16 in 2020/21 against their current opponents PSG with an aggregate score of 2:5
Barcelona have been too vulnerable in the knockout rounds of late
With the national championship practically gone and Real Madrid eight points behind, the Blaugrana’s main focus is also on the Champions League. However, PSG’s chances of reaching the semi-finals against Barcelona are not overly promising.
The Catalans have ultimately been too susceptible to conceding goals in the decisive matches in the top flight. Barça have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last eight Champions League knockout matches
Barcelona performed poorly away from home in the Champions League
At least the Catalans, who have not lost any of their last eleven competitive matches (eight wins, three draws), were successful in their two most recent dress rehearsals. A brilliant 3-0 away win at Atlético Madrid before the international break was followed by a 1-0 victory over Las Palmas, before the Copa del Rey final, for which Barça did not qualify, meant they had a week off.
Xavi’s squad will have used the time to prepare for this complicated visit to the Parc des Princes, where they have only won once in six away games in the top flight (two draws, three defeats). The away record also speaks against the Blaugrana, who have only won three of their last eleven Champions League games away from home (two draws, six defeats).
Predicted Barcelona line-up:
PSG – Barcelona Direct comparison / H2H balance
Head to head: 4 – 4 – 5
13 competitive matches have already been played between the two teams, who even played each other to a European title in the summer of 1997, when Barcelona won the European Cup Winners’ Cup against PSG. The Blaugrana also lead the direct comparison by a narrow margin with five wins overall, but were last defeated by the Rouges-et-Bleus in the round of 16 of the Champions League in 2020/21 by an aggregate score of 2:5
PSG – Barcelona betting tip
In our opinion, the prediction that the Rouges-et-Bleus will not leave the pitch as losers in this first leg makes the most sense for PSG vs Barcelona. The Parisiens are strong at home and have only lost one of their last twelve matches in the top flight at home (nine wins, two draws). Meanwhile, things have not gone too well for the Blaugrana, especially away from home. Barça have won just two of their last eleven away games in the top flight (two draws, six defeats)
Although the two teams usually score a lot of goals, we can’t imagine that there will be too much risk in the first leg. The combined bet on the double chance 1X with under 3.5 goals is therefore very consistent in what is likely to be a rather low-scoring match.
For this, betting odds of 2.00 are available for PSG against Barcelona, which we play at Betano with three out of ten units
