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Big Match Feature: PSG v Barca
Paris: DWDDDW
Barcelona: WDWWWW
Barcelona will face a number of Camp Nou old boys – including the opposition coach Laurent Blanc – when they visit Paris Saint-Germain on matchday two.
Laurent Blanc faces one of his former clubs as his Paris Saint-Germain side host FC Barcelona in Group F.
Match background
PSG
The French champions are looking for their first Group F victory after an opening draw at AFC Ajax (1-1).
They are unbeaten in 29 European home games (19 wins, 10 draws) dating back to a 4-2 loss to Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC in the Uefa Cup group stage in November 2006.
Blanc's men won four of their five home games in the 2013/14 competition, beating SL Benfica (3-0), Olympiacos FC (2-1), Bayer 04 Leverkusen (2-1) and Chelsea FC (3-1).
Their home record against Spanish visitors is W5 D4 L1. That solitary loss was a 3-1 defeat by RC Deportivo La Coruña in the 2000/01 Uefa Champions League second group stage.
Barcelona
Barcelona had an opening home victory over Apoel FC (1-0) but they have lost four and won just two of their last eight Uefa Champions League away games – at Celtic FC (1-0) on matchday two last season and Manchester City FC (2-0) in the round of 16.
Barcelona's record away to French sides is W3 D3 L2.
They last won on French soil at Olympique Lyonnais in the 2001/02 first group stage, Xavi Hernández appearing in a 3-2 victory.
Previous meetings
Barcelona beat Paris on away goals after two draws – 2-2 at Parc des Princes, 1-1 at the Camp Nou – in the 2012/13 Uefa Champions League quarterfinals.
Barcelona's only win in five games against Paris was the 1-0 triumph in the 1996/97 Uefa Cup Winners' Cup final. Luis Enrique played for Barcelona but Blanc, then a Barça player, did not feature in the final.
The Parisian club's only victory was a 2-1 home success in the 1994/95 Uefa Champions League quarterfinals (3-2 agg).
The line-ups in Paris on 2 April 2013 were:
PSG: Sirigu, Jallet, Alex, Thiago Silva, Maxwell, Beckham (Verratti 70), Matuidi, Lucas, Pastore (Gameiro 76), Ibrahimovic, Lavezzi (Ménez 66).
Barcelona: Valdés, Daniel Alves, Piqué, Mascherano (Bartra 84), Alba, Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta, Sánchez, Messi (Fàbregas 46), Villa (Tello 81).
Laurent Blanc, Paris coach
It's no easy task to lead your team back where they belong and get the same great results as last year, but by staying true to our approach we'll make it. Tomorrow we'll play against ... I was going to say our 'role models' but that's not the case, although they've been playing in this system for a long time. It's going to be an extraordinary match for players, fans and even journalists.
We're missing a bit of aggression, I think, especially when we don't have the ball. We'll have to be particularly strong in that area because we know that when Barcelona have the ball, it's very, very difficult to get it back.
Zlatan is still nursing his heel injury, he didn't train this morning. That's very unfortunate, but I had prepared with this in mind. It'll be difficult without him – it always is – but we'll have to make do and we have some very talented forwards. We'll have to compensate with a great team performance.
Barcelona have always been one of my favourite teams, especially given their football philosophy. Some like it, some don't; personally I love it. They've of course been very successful, winning numerous trophies in the last ten years, but what's most important is that they played an entertaining brand of football, scoring lots of goals. I did play for Barcelona, but that was a long time ago and I only spent a season there. Tomorrow my aim will be to beat them and I think we have the quality to do it.
Luis Enrique, Barcelona coach
The absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic is significant for Paris, but not so much for us as it won't change the way we play. I probably did watch the quarterfinal between the clubs two seasons ago, but I don't remember it. I can't remember every match I watch.
When you're a coach, you develop a natural distrust regarding your opposite number's comments, so we'll see tomorrow how they play. We'll need to play very well and show a lot of determination and intent. The most important match is always the next one, so this Paris game is the most important one right now – but we'll have just as important ones afterwards.
Lionel Messi is impressive on so many levels, but he's also our No 1 defender, although we don't talk too much about it. He's a very important player for us, but so are many others: the crucial thing is how they all combine together.
Match facts
PSG
Jean-Christophe Bahebeck marked only his third league start for Paris with the equaliser on Saturday as the capital club were held 1-1 at Toulouse FC.
Paris are ten games unbeaten in 2014/15 having kicked off their campaign on 2 August with a 2-0 victory in the domestic Super Cup against French Cup holders EA Guingamp.
Paris have won just two of their last ten away games, dating back to the start of April.
Ibrahimovic was Ligue 1 top scorer in each of the last two seasons, registering 56 times in 67 appearances in all. He has five in as many top-flight outings this term.
Ibrahimovic has missed the last two games with a left heel problem. Ezequiel Lavezzi sat out the Toulouse game with a hamstring injury.
George Weah is Paris' club record scorer in the Uefa Champions League with 15 goals. Ibrahimovic has 13 for the club.
Paris captain Silva has not played this term after injuring his right thigh in a 2-1 pre-season friendly victory over SSC Napoli on 11 August.
Ibrahimovic became Sweden's highest scorer – overtaking Sven Rydell (49) – with two goals in a 2-0 win against Estonia on 3 September. He won his 100th cap five days later in a 1-1 draw in Austria.
Barcelona
Neymar scored his first hat-trick of the season as Barcelona overwhelmed Granada CF 6-0 at the Camp Nou on Saturday.
Two goals for Lionel Messi took him to 401 for club and country.
Xavi Hernández made his first Liga start of the season on Saturday.
Barcelona have not conceded a goal in seven matches this season. Including the final game of last term, their defence has not been breached in 671 minutes.
The Azulgrana's perfect record this campaign ended when they drew 0-0 at Málaga CF on 24 September, a match in which Barcelona failed to register a shot on target. Douglas made his Barcelona debut against Málaga.
Munir El Haddadi, the top scorer in the inaugural Uefa Youth League last season, marked his senior Barcelona debut with a goal as Luis Enrique began his reign with a 3-0 Liga win against Elche CF on 24 August. Sandro Ramírez, another academy graduate taking his Barcelona bow, struck the only goal at Villarreal CF a week later.
El Haddadi made his Under-21 and senior international debuts for Spain against Hungary and FYROM respectively on 4 and 8 September.
Coach and player links
Blanc and Luis Enrique played together at the Camp Nou during the former's solitary campaign there (1996/97).
Luis Enrique was in the Real Madrid CF side knocked out of Europe two years in a row by Paris: first in the 1992/93 Uefa Cup quarterfinals (3-1 h, 1-4 a), then in the 1993/94 Uefa Cup Winners' Cup quarterfinals (0-1 h, 1-1 a).
Blanc was in charge of the France side beaten 2-0 by Spain in the Uefa EURO 2012 quarterfinals. Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Gerard Piqué, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta and Pedro Rodríguez all featured.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic spent 2009/10 at Barcelona, winning four trophies and scoring 16 goals in 29 Liga outings.
Academy product Thiago Motta made 96 Liga appearances for Barcelona, scoring six goals. He won two Spanish titles and was an unused substitute for their 2006 Uefa Champions League final win.
Maxwell made 57 Liga appearances for Barcelona (2009–12) and won two league titles but was not involved in the 2011 Uefa Champions League final.
Ivan Rakitic lost 3-1 with Croatia against David Luiz and Thiago Silva's Brazil in the 2014 Fifa World Cup opening match.
Luiz scored a goal and put a penalty past Claudio Bravo to help Brazil beat Chile on spot kicks after a 1-1 draw in the World Cup round of 16.
Silva headed an added-time equaliser for AC Milan in a 2-2 draw at Barcelona on the opening night of the 2011/12 Uefa Champions League.
Yohan Cabaye, Lucas Digne and Blaise Matuidi played in France's 1-0 home friendly victory over a Spain side including Busquets and Pedro on 4 September.
Marc Bartra and Martín Montoya helped Spain win the 2013 Uefa European Under-21 Championship final 4-2 against Marco Verratti's Italy.
Motta, Salvatore Sirigu and Gregory van der Wiel have lost major finals against Spain – Motta and unused substitute Sirigu with Italy (0-4, Uefa EURO 2012) and Van der Wiel with the Netherlands (0-1, 2010 World Cup).
Possible line-ups
Paris: Sirigu; Van der Wiel, David Luiz, Marquinhos, Maxwell; Verratti, Thiago Motta, Matuidi; Pastore, Cavani, Lucas.
Out: Ibrahimovic (heel), Lavezzi (hamstring)
Doubtful: Thiago Silva (thigh)
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Alves, Mathieu, Piqué, Alba; Busquets, Iniesta, Rakitic; Pedro, Messi, Neymar.
Out: Masip (finger), Rafinha (thigh), Douglas (foot)
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