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PSG vs Barcelona Odds & Prediction – Champions League Round of 16 Leg 2

Gary Gowers

by Gary Gowers in Soccer News

Updated Mar 10, 2021 · 1:42 PM PST

PSG vs Barcelona
Barcelona's Lionel Messi runs with the ball during the the Copa del Rey semifinal, second leg, soccer match between FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday March 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
  • PSG & Barcelona meet in the second leg of the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday, March 10, KO 3:00 pm EST
  • PSG won 4-1 in the Camp Nou and so take a healthy lead back to the Parc Des Princes
  • We preview the game, look at the odds, and offer a best bet below

Barca travels to Paris on Wednesday to play PSG in the second leg of their 2021 last-16 Champions League clash on Wednesday, March 10, KO 3:00 pm EST – with the Spaniards facing a three-goal deficit. We list the odds, preview PSG vs Barcelona, and offer the best bet for this Champions League match below.

PSG vs Barcelona Odds

Matchup Spread Moneyline Total
PSG vs Barcelona PSG pk (-148) | BAR pk (+123) PSG +118 | DRAW +315 | BAR +185 Ov 3.5 (+110) | Un 3.5 (-136)

All odds taken Mar 8 at DraftKings

PSG Heroics in the Camp Nou

PSG’s 4-1 win at the Camp Nou was as unexpected as it was well-deserved, with the Parisiens surprising not only themselves but the whole of world soccer with such a conclusive victory. For most teams, to head to the away leg facing a three-goal deficit would be seen as an impossible task, but with a Barcelona team that includes Lionel Messi – arguably the greatest ever player to pull on a soccer shirt – anything is possible.

And there is a precedent. Four years ago, Barca pulled off, against these very same opponents, the greatest second-leg comeback in the history of the Champions League when they overhauled a 4-0 deficit in the first-leg with an incredible 6-1 win in the second. Crucially, where that tie differs from this one is that the first leg in 2017 was in Paris and the comeback leg in Spain.

Gigantic Task for Barca

So, make no mistake, the task facing the Catalans is a gigantic one and if they are able to overturn that lead, it would be a record-breaking feat at this stage of the Champions League. The first-leg was a masterclass in efficiency by the French champions who actually went behind early on to a Messi penalty but stormed back in style with four unanswered goals; a hattrick from a clinical Kylian Mbappe and another from Moise Kean.

Given the fact the Parc Des Princes will be empty – just as the Camp Nou was – the task facing Barca is not as unsurmountable as it would have been in a full, bouncing stadium but it will still rely on them getting, at the very least, a clean sheet. An early goal for PSG will settle the tie, but the opener for Barca may just lever the door open a little, especially if Messi is on song.

PSG vs Barcelona Head-to-Head Stats

PSG
VS
Barcelona
7 UCL 2021 Games played 7
5 Wins 5
0 Draws 0
2 Losses 2
17 Goals scored 79
7 Goals attempts 9
86% Passing accuracy 91%
3,294 Passes completed 4,778

In Form Barca

The good news for the Catalans is that the first leg against PSG aside, their form in 2021 has been very good and, in fact, they are unbeaten in La Liga since December 5. Since then, a run that stretches 16 league games has seen them win 13 times, scoring  37 and conceding just 11.

The only game Barca have lost this year, in addition to the PSG defeat, was a 2-0 defeat by Sevilla in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal, which they managed to overturn with a 3-0 win in the second leg. So, Barca is in good shape, and worth noting too is that they have kept the aforementioned clean sheets in each of their last three league games.

PSG by their own immaculately high standards have had a difficult season and they currently trail Ligue 1 leaders Lille by two points – a very unfamiliar position for the Parisiens. From their 28 league games, they have a 19-3-6 record and so are enjoying nothing like the domestic dominance to which they have become accustomed.

Spaniards With Nothing to Lose

The win in the Camp Nou was by some way PSG’s best performance (and result) of the season; an indication that PSG’s owners have requested that the Champions League be given priority, especially after going so close last season and losing only in the final.

So, we should expect fireworks on Wednesday. Barca has nothing to gain by being cautious and so will go for it, with all guns blazing. And any side that does that and which contains Messi is a dangerous team. But, while it is not impossible for a team of such quality to overturn such a deficit, the key here is that if PSG nick a goal it is all but game over. I, therefore, expect Barca to win the game but by not enough goals and for PSG to progress to the last eight.

Pick: Barca to win (+185)

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