He usually terrorises Ligue 1 sides, and he has stagnated, not regressed. Mediacorp Pte Ltd. All rights reserved. There are genuine reasons for choosing these two players. In a rematch of their classic encounter at the same stage four seasons ago, Barcelona will face Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the UEFA Champions League round of 16. meREWARDS lets you get coupon deals, and earn cashback when you complete surveys, dine, travel and shop with our partners. They were rather lucky to finish top of their group even though they were nowhere good enough, with the same shortcomings mirroring themselves in Ligue 1. And even if Messi wasn’t Argentinian, the Getafe goal alone would justify comparisons to Maradona’s genius. Papers: Messi and Pedri are the present and the future of the team, Puyol: “Messi has set the bar very high, he is the best of all time”, Lenglet: It’s up to Koeman to change the system, Jan Oblak praises Messi: “Will he shoot, will he dribble, will he pass?”, Watch: Valladolid 0-3 Barcelona, Match Review, Player Ratings: Real Valladolid 0-3 Barcelona, 3 lessons learned from the Real Valladolid 0-3 Barcelona game, Real Valladolid 0-3 Barcelona: Match Review, Predicting Barcelona’s lineup against Real Valladolid, Player Ratings: Barcelona 2-2 Valencia — another masterclass from Araujo, Assessing Barcelona’s centre back options heading into the January transfer window, Pedri vs Coutinho: One clear winner at Barcelona right now, Opponent Analysis: Valencia CF, La Liga matchday 14, How Barcelona can benefit from Joan Laporta’s friendship with super-agent Mino Raiola, Opponent Analysis: Real Sociedad, La Liga matchday 19, Pelé and Messi – Two decades under the sun, Making the case against Memphis Depay at Barcelona, Barcelona should not sack Koeman mid-way through the season, Making a case for Memphis Depay at Barcelona, Barcelona have found an unlikely saviour in Ronald Araujo, Winter transfer market essentials for Barcelona, Three potential loan destinations for Riqui Puig, Three potential loan destinations for Carles Aleña, Ranking Barça’s 3 centre-back options in the January transfer market, 3 players Barcelona should consider offloading in the January transfer window, 3 Barcelona B players who could break into the first team this season, Barcelona B: Changes which we can expect this season, Barcelona B vs Valladolid Promesas: Match preview – First step towards promotion, Álex Collado, injured: Massive blow for the young talent, Barça and the B, Barça Femení: A summary of the 2020/21 campaign so far and what to expect in the New Year, Reflecting on Sonia Bermúdez’s legacy on club and country, Andrea Pereira, Barça Femení’s underrated defensive pillar, Why Europe is still within reach for Barça Femení, FCB Femeni’s November Player of the Month: Caroline Graham-Hansen, Josep Samitier, the artist and hero of Barcelona’s first golden age. FC Barcelona reversed a four-goal deficit in the second leg of their 2016–17 UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain to win 6–5 on aggregate, making it the largest comeback in UEFA Champions League history. The 21-year-old went through a goal drought in the Champions League and did not score for 10 games. (Reporting by Simon Evans; Editing by Christian Radnedge). There is a second goal machine around who was much more than just a centre forward. 1994-95 Champions League Quarter Final Barça 1-1 PSG / PSG 2-1 10, and certainly not a No. Pelé, Messi, and Ronaldo are several notches higher than the 1986 World Cup winner when it comes to consistency. I always was passionate about writing and this is exactly what I am looking for: sharing my insights and opinions on football. 9 but not a No. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Let’s start with the overall shape of their career. After finishing in the second place in the group for the first time since 2006, the sleeping giants feared most group toppers. This year, PSG do not look like one of Europe’s biggest forces, and they do not even have Ligue 1 secured to focus on one competition. The clash of Lionel Messi and Barca with last year’s runners-up PSG is a repeat of their remarkable meeting at the same stage in 2017 when Barca … The last-16 draw triggered a big tilt in odds for a couple of the European giants. The 1988 Motín del Hesperia: can Barcelona now learn from it? But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. In the end, if they can show their quality against Barça despite all the adversity, they might go on and reach the promised land. However, the Barça sides from yesteryear are a far cry from what Ronald Koeman has managed to conjure. 2020-21 UEFA Champions League scores, TV schedule for round of 16: Barca get PSG, Atletico Madrid vs. Chelsea And then there were 16 participants for February's knockout stage Tuchel played a midfield bereft of creativity and a defence arguably shakier than Barça’s. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United tactically outclassed the French side away in Paris. "For more than 15 years PSG has led the fight against discrimination and continues to work to eradicate it in all forms." His 644th goal, which came against Real Valladolid, was a bit worthier of historical significance, too: a coolly taken shot into the bottom right corner after some neat link-up play with Frenkie de Jong and young Pedri. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Not getting the three best group winners was a relief for the Culés. Barcelona will face Paris St Germain while title holders Bayern Munich are up against Italy's Lazio in the last 16 of the Champions League after UEFA's draw was held on Monday. 7 is a No. Away in France, they lost to a generous penalty and bad finishing from their part. The Brazilian scored in both legs to get his side through after Erling Braut Haaland showed no mercy in the same game. Yes, his assists statistics are impressive, but everyone who has actually followed his career knows that he is not much of a playmaking presence. A good result against PSG and qualification to the Quarters will help the Catalans go on a good run in the Champions League, the Catalans dearly need their confidence back. However, his return to the Camp Nou might be in jeopardy. Now, let’s look at Neymar. Suivez toutes les infos et les conférences de presse en direct sur RMC Sport. Whoa... We're sorry! It would be fair to say that PSG would not like to play against the La Liga side. Perhaps more importantly, it marks the return of Neymar to Barcelona since leaving for PSG prior to the the 2017-18 season. Photograph: Manu Fernandez/Pool via … After that, they can focus on the Champions League. Not of all them, though. The Brazilian is one of the best players in the world. Also, the result meant Cristiano Ronaldo’s teammates would leapfrog Barcelona in the group and top it. However, the Catalans drew a familiar face this time: Paris Saint-Germain. These results stem from the manager’s tactics, but the current institutional crisis in Paris does not help. Italian champions Juventus will face Porto, Sevilla play Borussia Dortmund and Serie A club Atalanta take on Real Madrid. Not the way Barca fans wanted but Neymar is now heavily tipped to help PSG avenge the historic and embarrassing 6–1 defeat orchestrated by the Brazillian himself in 2017. Monaco had a stunning year and won Ligue 1 that campaign. They produced season after season after season of world-class-and-above performances. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Barca Universal uses cookies to improve your experience. For Kylian Mbappe, it feels like the precocious Frenchman has stagnated in recent year. For the same reason, PSG have also seen their odds slide, from +933 to +1233, on the premise that Barca still has Messi and therefore … Premier League champions Liverpool will play last year's semi-finalists RB Leipzig. The winger has nearly perfected his game, and he is Paris’s hope when things go south, and he demonstrated it against Borussia Dortmund last year. By clicking subscribe, I agree to receive news updates and promotional material from Mediacorp and Mediacorp's partners. Your email address will not be published. The Brazilian looks like he will be unable to reassemble a PSG side as incredible as the one he assembled nearly a decade ago. Moreover, Lens beat them at the start of the term. Their light shone as bright as we have ever seen and it shone basically forever. The German coach received lots of criticism from the French fanbase because he has simply not done a good enough job. Following the humiliations against Bayern, Liverpool, and AS Roma, there was only so much that the fan could take. Copyright© Mediacorp 2020. The thing about Cristiano Ronaldo, however, is that while he basically matches Messi as a goal threat, he lacks behind quite considerably in other regards. Achievements • Privacy Policy • Cookie Policy • Licensed Images • Partners Copyright © 2017 - 2020 Barca Universal - [email protected]. They are the two best players of all time. This service is not intended for persons residing in the EU. But what always feels a bit contrived when said about Messi versus his contemporary rival, that we should just enjoy them both, feels more appropriate when it comes to watching the GOAT and O Rei. PSG qualified for the last 16 of Europe's leading club competition, despite the match being suspended and then rescheduled, after Manchester United lost 3-2 at Leipzig. Messi’s career, dating back to when he was a teenager in the late 2000s, has been set in relation to two other players: Cristiano Ronaldo, obviously, and, as a historical point of comparison, Diego Maradona. Required fields are marked *. Barca and PSG On the Slide. Lille have attained momentum, and are first in Ligue 1, while Olympique Lyonnais just beat PSG at the Parc des Princes, and even Marseille could be top after their two games in hand. Ronald Koeman, a Barça legend as a player. The clash of Lionel Messi and Barca with last year’s runners-up PSG is a repeat of their remarkable meeting at the same stage in 2017 when Barca … REUTERS: Barcelona will face Paris St Germain while title holders Bayern Munich are up against Italy's Lazio in the last 16 of the Champions League after UEFA's draw was held on Monday. It wasn’t the most beautiful goal, but it was a historic one. As PSG lost to Lyon, Thiago Mendes went in with a reckless tackle and Neymar was stretchered off. Finally, Neymar became Paris’ butcher in the 6-1 Remontada in 2017. Barcelona have stopped them thrice. They have started the season appallingly, and the eyebrows have begun to be raised over the Dutchman’s future already. Mbappe after the match said the time was right for … And by context, it is easy to guess that the man in question is none other than Pele himself. Koeman’s men are eighth in the league and have only drawn Paris because they finished second in the group. The French champions have issues all over the pitch, which, if they can improve in time, then they will surely beat Barça, but the path is long and unbewildered. Barça have always had the upper hand, apart from the first ever meeting, back in 1995, when it was PSG that progressed. Both Pelé and Messi turmoiled an entire decade each under the sun and were the closest things to each other. All in all, Paris Saint-Germain, while not being the best side to face with Barça’s shortcomings, are not as terrifying as others. The Catalans suffered a humiliating defeat at Camp Nou, and it was partly because of their tactics. For exactly four days they occupied the joint first place in the all-time ranking of players with most goals scored for a single professional football club. Paris and Barça have a bit of a history in the competition. Then, prime Luis Suares showed David Luiz no mercy nestling two shots into the goals. Neymar bagged the Man of the Match award when Barcelona pulled off the La Remontada (The Comeback) over PSG three years ago in the same competition. They obliterate it and are crowned Champions by March. Moving away from the United game, PSG had two abysmal performances against RB Leipzig. Well, after talking about the weak Catalans’ woes, it is time to look at Thomas Tuchel’s men’s problems. Thanks for the feedback. A bit harsh, but it does raise a point: Maradona did not produce a solid decade or more of top performances. The two legged ties will be played from Feb. 16. That is not to say that they one cannot discuss who was better, Messi or Pelé. Enjoy them both. The clash of Lionel Messi and Barca with last year’s runners-up PSG is a repeat of their remarkable meeting at the same stage in 2017 when Barca … Something similar applies to the other members of Club 1. They lost their first Classique in 10 years against Marseille at home. The Parisians reached the Champions League final in 2020. What made this goal special is not so much its role in the largely forgettable 2-2 draw that ensued, but the fact that it was Messi’s 643rd goal for FC Barcelona, the same number of goals Pelé scored for the club of his life, Santos FC. IMAGE: Lionel Messi's Barca had beaten PSG at the same stage, overcoming a 4-0 first leg loss to beat the French club 6-1 in Spain. With their captain not wanting to be at the club, and linked with PSG themselves, and a squad bereft of confidence and tactics, chances looks bleak for Barcelona. Their names are Pelé and Messi. We should keep in mind that 80s Serie A was low-scoring and expanded to 18 teams only in ‘88-’89, but even if we do not forget any of these facts, Maradona’s performance as a goalscorer is a far cry compared to his compatriot. It looks like the email address you entered is not valid. This time around, Paris are part of a title race. PSG have huge backing from their Qatari owners and are determined to build a team that can dominate in Europe. After getting his wanted number 9 position, Mbappé looked like a shadow of his winger self. Bordeaux could have beaten them had they not missed their finishing boots, while Monaco came back from 2-0 down to beat Tuchel’s men 3-2.