Neymar's Camp Nou return MIA... like PSG
A truly heavyweight clash awaits at the Camp Nou on Tuesday evening when Barcelona take on Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League boxing match. Whilst some of the main stars for both teams are missing, it still has all the makings of a pulsating clash. Visiting head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who had previously been tipped for the gig at the Catalan giants, must do without the elite attacker Neymar. The Brazilian suffered an injury after being totally needlessly included in a cup match against second tier French outfit Caen. His absence will hit the Parisiens hard, and has most certainly swung the tie away from them, at least on paper. Read our preview here:
Don't Pjanić, Messi's back on song
The hosts warmed up for the return of European football by thwacking Basque country based Deportivo Alavés 5-1, but remain in third, some eight points off Atlético Madrid having played a match more. Nevertheless, the convincing victory was most notable for superstar Leo Messi's virtuoso performance. By his own ridiculous standards, 2020/2021 has not been quite up to par with other years, but he was devastating on Saturday, scoring two and laying on another for perennial Portuguese substitute Trincão. Head coach Ronald Koeman will be banking on a repeat display, shorn as he is of some major attacking talent; Martin Braithwaite, Phillipe Coutinho, and Ansu Fati are all unavailable, as well as the two defensive mainstays Gerard Piqué and Sergi Roberto. This has necessitated deep lying playmaker Frenkie de Jong to withdraw into the backline itself in a desperate attempt to fill the gap. As skilled as he is, that's unfamiliar territory for him, and an experiment he could do without when faced with Kylian Mbappé running at him. In better news, Miralem Pjanić should start after featuring at the weekend, and his inclusion redresses the imbalance in the midfield three.
Kean to make an impression
Ángel Di María will be joined on the sidelines by Neymar, and together, they represent a swingeing blow to PSG's ability to counter. Just like adversary de Jong, Marco Verratti could be shifted into a new role, and for him, it will be behind Mauro Icardi up top. This makes a lot of sense, given how strong he is at splitting defences with pitch perfect through balls. To his right will be Moise Kean; the Everton loanee has gone down a hit at Parc des Princes, weighing in with 12 goals in all competitions, including that crucial double against İstanbul Başakşehir in the group stage. Much like Jordi Alba on his flank, he is far better going forward than helping out defensively, and it will be intriguing to see who pins back whom. If it's the Spanish World Cup winner, that will cut off a huge chunk of the field. It's uncertain at the time of writing what next season holds for the 20 year old, but if he can get the better of his decorated opponent, it will go a long way to making his stay in the capital a more permanent one.
Poch to the system
Even without a rough total of 10 starters combined, there's still more than enough quality to rival or usurp RB Leipzig-Liverpool as the tie of the round. Some neutrals will feel aggrieved that it's come so 'early' on in the tournament, but the stakes are as high as ever, especially in an era when COVID-19 has choked off some revenue streams for even the most moneyed of clubs. Pochettino will be quietly hopeful of coming through his first major test at the helm relatively unscathed, and on balance, that will mean taking an away goal back with them to fight another day. betway are offering slightly better than evens for Barcelona to win at 2.05.
