Barcelona vs Paris Saint Germain preview - Barca ready for PSG challenge

Posted Tuesday, December 09, 2014 by PA

Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain lock horns at the Nou Camp in their final Champions League Group A match on Wednesday with top spot up for grabs.

Both teams have already qualified for the last 16 of the competition but PSG travel to Spain leading the pool with a one-point advantage over Barca.

"This is an important game," Barca coach Luis Enrique told the Spanish media on Wednesday. "We want to finish first in the group.

"We will go out to win the game just as we always do.

"However, we face a team that has the same aspirations as we do.

"We will be tested at both ends of the pitch."

PSG are unbeaten this season and edged Barca 3-2 in France in September without injured striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to take command of the group.

"We are looking forward to facing them again," Enrique said. "PSG are candidates to win the Champions League and they already beat us in Paris.

"They won that game without Ibrahimovic.

"They really have a strong team and now with Ibrahimovic available, they are all the more powerful."

Ibrahimovic scored twice against Nantes in Saturday's 2-1 triumph that lifted PSG to second place, one point adrift of Ligue 1 leaders Olympique Marseille.

Enrique believes the former Barcelona striker poses the biggest threat to his side, who are without right-back Dani Alves and midfielder Rafinha, both suspended. Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen is also out injured.

"Ibrahimovic is a top player," he said. "If he is in his usual form, he is very difficult to stop.

"All my players will have to help defensively in order to limit the number of times Ibrahimovic touches the ball."

Barca warmed up for the encounter with Sunday's 5-1 triumph over Espanyol in the derby, with Leo Messi scoring a hat-trick to make it 20 goals in 19 appearances in all competitions.

The outcome kept Barca second in La Liga, two points adrift of leaders Real Madrid.

PSG coach Laurent Blanc will have all of his players available, with the exception of injured winger Jean-Christophe Bahebeck.

Blanc is delighted with his team's season so far but believes his side will have to step up their game with respect to last weekend's performance against Nantes if they are to come out triumphant on Wednesday.

"We're happy to have won against Nantes," Blanc told PSG's website. "But we will need to improve to get a win against Barcelona.

"Saturday's win was the 1,000th victory for the club which is great, as is the fact that we are still undefeated."