PSG vs. Barça: Can Mbappé decide epic European rivalry again?
Three years on from their last encounter in the round of 16, a new chapter in the rivalry between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona will be written on Wednesday when they face each other in the Champions League quarterfinals. This time, there is no Lionel Messi, Neymar or Luis Suárez in either camp, but PSG manager Luis Enrique, a Barça legend, is now going up against his former captain, Xavi Hernández, who is looking to deliver a trophy for the Blaugrana in his last season in charge.
Superstar Kylian Mbappé will take on Robert Lewandowski in the battle of the forwards, while teenage prodigies Warren Zaïre-Emery and Lamine Yamal will look to steal the show. This tie has drama, glamour, tension and history written all over it, so let's break down some of those storylines and talking points.
It will be even bigger against Barça. As a future Merengue, successfully eliminating their arch-rivals from the competition would please his future fans so much. Even if Luis Enrique has been ruthless with him, taking him off early in some recent games (against Monaco and Marseille) and even starting him on the bench (against Reims and Nantes,) he wants to finish his PSG career on the highest note possible. He has scored 39 goals in 40 games for his club so far this season, he will win the league and perhaps also the Coupe de France against Lyon on May 25.
But the Champions League is his dream. It is the reason he stayed two more years at PSG, and there are three rounds between him and the fulfillment of his ambition. The Catalans are the first obstacle, however, and Mbappé is relishing it.
| Barcelona Vs Paris SG | |
| MATCH INFO | |
MATCH : | Barcelona V/s Paris SG |
COMPETITION : | Champions League QF Leg 1 |
| TIME: | 11-04-2024 |
DATE: | 12.30 AM IST (UTC +5:30) |
STADIUM: | Parc Des Princes |
Luis Enrique and his Barça legacy
The two quarterfinals, home and away, will be special evenings for Luis Enrique. A former Barcelona player (1996-2004) and manager (2014-2017), he is a club legend. He led the team to their last Champions League triumph as part of a famous treble in 2015, he won a Cup Winners' Cup as a player against PSG in the final in 1997 and he lifted four LaLiga titles in total with the Catalan side. Although he is from Gijón, in the north-western region of in Asturias, he feels strongly about Barcelona; the club, the city, the people and the mentality.
As usual, it will be The Luis Enrique Show before, during and after both games because he loves to be the centre of attention, but he also wants to do the job. He has another year on his contract and is happy in Paris. His name has been mentioned as a potential option when Xavi leaves Barcelona in June, but he confirmed on his Twitch channel three weeks ago that he was staying in the French capital next season. Regardless, facing "his" Barça will mean much more to him than any other game has for a long time, perhaps ever.
An ideal pathway to the final?
This draw has also given the tie a lot more appeal because the winner will face Atlético Madrid or Borussia Dortmund in the semifinals. Surely PSG or Barcelona would be favourites against either the Colchoneros or BVB, especially with the second leg at home. So beating their European rivals would open the door nicely toward another Champions League final, which would be incredible for Mbappé for his last-ever game for PSG. He would have the chance to avenge 2020 and the defeat at the last hurdle against Bayern Munich (1-0).
It would also have been unthinkable for Xavi and his team a few weeks ago when he announced he was leaving at the end of the season to be 90 minutes away from a Champions League triumph. There is still some way to go, but the dream is very much alive.