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Barcelona v PSG preview: Ibrahimovic returns with PSG facing huge task

By Eurosport UK
Sports News Barcelona v PSG preview: Ibrahimovic returns with PSG facing huge task
APR 21, 2015 LISTEN

Team news, manager quotes, match facts, and more ahead of the Champions League quarter-final second leg clash between Barcelona and PSG.

TEAM NEWS
Andres Iniesta is available for Barcelona's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain after suffering a back injury in the first leg in France.

The midfielder was stretchered off in that match but he returned to training on Monday, as did defender Jeremy Mathieu.

Brazilian international Dani Alves should also play after suspension. Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva has been ruled out of the second leg with the thigh injury he picked up in the 3-1 home defeat last week.

The centre back is joined on the sidelines by namesake Thiago Motta (thigh), while right back Serge Aurier is suspended. Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and midfielder Marco Verratti will return for the French champions after missing the first game through suspension.

MANAGER QUOTES
Luis Enrique: "The difficulty lies in the game overall. They're an opponent with a negative result who won't hold anything back. We're going out to win the game. I always want a positive result. The goal is to qualify but I understand victory is always the best result. There will be times we suffer, as happened in Paris. The goal is to qualify and I don't settle for results that aren't victories."

Laurent Blanc: "We have to think that we have to score and I am sure that we will but we have only a small chance to go through. We cannot afford to concede goals and this here is practically impossible. All the teams that play here in Europe concede at least one. They have attacking players with incredible talent. We have to show that we want to win, show that we are capable of doing it and give a better account of ourselves than in the first match."

MATCH FACTS
Barcelona have won just two CL games against PSG, but they were their last two meetings (D3 L2).

Barcelona have lost just one of their last twelve European games against French clubs (W7 D4).

Paris Saint-Germain have won just one of their Champions League trips to Spain (D2 L2), scoring and conceding in all those games (8 scored and 10 conceded).

PSG are the third French club to have been defeated by Barcelona in a Champions League home game, after Lyon (2-3 in 2001) and Monaco (0-1 in 1994).

Barcelona have won seven Champions League games in a row, just two victories behind their best run in the competition (9 in February 2003).

Paris have not won any of their last four CL games (D2 L2), remaining the only quarter-finalist yet to win in this season's knockout rounds.

Barcelona are the only quarter-finalist yet to draw a game in the Champions League this season (W8 L1).

Barcelona are the only quarter-finalist to have scored an own goal in the Champions League this season (Jeremy Mathieu against PSG in the first leg).

Since Lionel Messi made his CL debut, only Xavi (23), Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo (22) have provided more CL assists than him (21)

With his first goal in the first leg against PSG, Luis Suarez scored the 400th goal for Barcelona in CL history.

Indeed, only Real Madrid (436) have scored more goals than the Cul�s in Champions League history (401).

Neymar has scored in all three CL appearances against PSG (three goals).

Barcelona have had the fewest players booked in the Champions League this season amongst teams that have made it to the quarter-final (12).

Marc-Andre ter Stegen is the only goalkeeper amongst teams in the quarter-final to have saved a penalty in the Champions League this campaign.

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