PARIS: The Paris Saint-Germain of Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona clash in the first leg of their blockbuster Champions League quarter-final tie on Wednesday, in the latest instalment of the growing rivalry between the two clubs.
It is the fifth time the sides have been drawn against each other in the knockout stage of Europe’s elite club competition in the last 12 seasons, with those past meetings including an unforgettable encounter in 2017.
PSG won 4-0 at home in the first leg only to lose 6-1 in the return in a stunning implosion against a Barcelona side coached by Luis Enrique.
He is now in charge of PSG, having joined the Qatar-owned club ahead of this season with the responsibility of delivering elusive European success.
“It is a totally different game for me,” Luis Enrique said on Tuesday, referring to the special nature of a fixture against the club with whom he starred as a player before going on to lead to Champions League glory in 2015.
“But I also played against Sporting (Gijon, where he began his career) and scored goals for Barcelona.
“At the end of the day I am a professional. Of course I like Barcelona but I am pleased to be here at PSG, and I must think about my job and my team. I think I’m capable of bringing trophies to this club.”
PSG have never won the Champions League and had gone out in the last 16 in five of the last seven years before beating Real Sociedad to reach the last eight this time.
The consequences of that 2017 meeting between the teams were huge.
A humiliated PSG exacted revenge by signing Neymar from Barcelona a few months later by paying a world-record fee of 222 million euros ($264m at the time) to activate the Brazilian’s release clause.
Barcelona panicked and blew all of that money, and more, in trying to rebuild their team.
Among the players they signed was Ousmane Dembele, who cost an initial 105 million euros from Borussia Dortmund.
Fast forward to last year and Dembele was sold to PSG for just 50 million euros, leaving behind a cash-strapped Barca who have faded somewhat as a continental force in recent seasons.
Their financial problems forced them to let Lionel Messi leave in 2021, with the Argentine teaming up with Neymar in a two-year spell in Paris.
It was only a few weeks after Neymar’s arrival that PSG also signed Mbappe, who has gone on to become the club’s all-time top scorer and will leave at the end of this season when his contract expires, almost certainly for Real Madrid.
Mbappe scored a brilliant hat-trick in the first leg in Barcelona when PSG beat the Catalans 5-2 on aggregate in the last 16 in 2021, in the most recent clash between the clubs.
He has 39 goals this season and appears extra motivated by the desire to win the Champions League with his boyhood club before he leaves.
PSG failed to convince in the group stage, only just scraping through to the last 16.
However, they are unbeaten in 27 games in all competitions going back to early November and are dreaming of winning a Champions League, Ligue 1 and French Cup treble.
Barcelona, meanwhile, have not lost in 11 matches since coach Xavi Hernandez, who played both alongside and under Luis Enrique at the club, revealed his intention to walk away at the end of this season.
The five-time European champions are appearing in the quarter-finals for the first time since 2020, when they were trounced 8-2 by Bayern Munich in a game played behind closed doors in Lisbon, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are in our best form but we are playing against a team built to win the Champions League and we are coming up against one of the best coaches in Luis Enrique,” Xavi told reporters.
Barcelona are hoping midfielders Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, who have both been struggling with injuries, will be able to play in the game, while PSG are without influential right-back Achraf Hakimi due to suspension.
“All those who have traveled will be able to play, as long as there are no surprises,” Xavi said of his squad.
The second leg will be played in Barcelona next Tuesday, April 16, with the winners advancing to a semifinal against either Atletico Madrid or Borussia Dortmund.
PSG and Barcelona get set to renew Champions League rivalry
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PSG and Barcelona get set to renew Champions League rivalry
- PSG won 4-0 at home in the first leg only to lose 6-1 in the return in a stunning implosion against a Barcelona side coached by Luis Enrique
- “It is a totally different game for me,” Luis Enrique said on Tuesday, referring to the special nature of a fixture against the club with whom he starred as a player
Saudi rising star Malik Basahel targets statement win at PFL MENA Finals
AL-KHOBAR: Saudi flyweight prospect Malik Basahel faces a pivotal test in his young professional career when he takes on Egypt’s Mahmoud Atef at the PFL MENA Finals: All or Nothing later on Friday at the Dhahran Expo in Al-Khobar.
Building on strong performances across the PFL and IMMAF circuits, Basahel sees the bout as a natural next step in a progression he has been planning for years. Confident but composed, he views the contest as another opportunity to underline what his record already suggests.
“I feel good. Obviously, it’s my sixth time fighting for the PFL. It’s my third pro fight this year,” Basahel said.
“For me, it’s just another fight, another opportunity to showcase what I’ve learned in the gym, to show my skills, and to get that win. I’m just focused on my next fight. I’ve got a good feeling about it.”
That calm approach is rooted in experience. From a decorated amateur career to an unbeaten start as a professional, Basahel has shown an ability to perform under pressure, with each outing reflecting steady development.
His run in the PFL has already exposed him to a variety of opponents and styles, providing valuable cage time.
Standing opposite him, Atef brings a 5-3 record and a reputation for pushing the pace. Basahel is ready for the challenge.
“He brings the fight, so I can bring the fight as well,” Basahel said. “I’m locked in on this one, and whatever happens after, happens.”
While acknowledging the higher stakes that come with competing on the PFL platform, the Saudi is clear about what keeps him grounded.
“The level of competition is higher than the regional shows, and obviously the media and everything around it plays a part,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it’s only a cage, the same rules, the same fight. I just try to put the work in, show what I can do, and have some fun with it. I always try to learn, always try to improve. I just know I’m going to get this win.”
For Basahel, the matchup with Atef represents a chance to reinforce his status as one of the region’s most promising flyweights and to deliver the statement performance he believes will carry him toward the upper tiers of the sport.
