Team news
Barcelona have a trio of injuries that could wind up hurting them. Javier Mascherano will be missing off the back line because of injury, while the valuable presence of Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal on the bench will also be missing thanks to injuries of their own — depriving Barcelona of valuable versatility late in the game. Fortunately, all of their attacking trio of Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, and Neymar will be available as they aim to terrorize PSG’s defense.
That will be problematic for Paris Saint-Germain, who are without key defender Thiago Silva thanks to injury. Midfield shield Thiago Motta will be out as well with a suspension — but depending on who you ask, that could be more of a blessing than a curse.
Projected lineups (left to right)
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Kevin Trapp; Maxwell, Presnel Kimpembe, Marquinhos, Serge Aurier; Blaise Matuidi, Adrien Rabiot, Marco Verratti; Julian Draxler, Edinson Cavani, Lucas
Barcelona (4-3-3): Marc-André Ter Stegen; Jordi Alba, Samuel Umtiti, Gerard Piqué, Sergi Roberto; Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitić; Neymar, Luis Suárez, Lionel Messi
Key Matchups
Marquinhos vs. Luis Suarez — With Thiago Silva out, Marquinhos has to find a way to shut down Suarez on his own in order to allow both Maxwell and young Presnel Kimpembe to double-team Lionel Messi. If he can keep Suarez in check and if that duo can contain Messi, PSG might just have a chance to slow Barcelona down and get something from this match. If he fails, though — well, it’s going to be a long day.
Marco Verratti vs. Sergio Busquets — Likely to be one of the higher-placed PSG midfielders and a key playmaker in the match, Verratti is going to be facing off with Busquets frequently. On the surface, it’s not a matchup Verratti is likely to win — the kind of physicality Busquets brings to the table is not something the Italian midfielder has often dealt with well in his career. But if he can dig deep and find a way through, it will give PSG a huge leg up in this match.