Ligue 1 also-rans vye for Champions League as PSG target win in Barcelona

Perhaps the weekend break will help Paris Saint-Germain's players recover from their midweek travails. 1-0 down and then 2-1 up before losing 3-2 to Barcelona at the Parc des Princes, it was – to mutilate the cliché – a game of two halves within two halves.

Such are the slings and arrows of PSG's fortunes. At least they will have Tuesday's quarter-final second leg in Spain to salvage their Champions League campaign.

Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez – who won the Champions League four times during his playing days at Barcelona – was under no illusions that PSG would pose a problem.

"It was a great victory against one of the best teams in the world," said the 44-year-old. "But we are only half way there.

"PSG still have every chance. But we have a one-goal advantage and we will be playing at home."

Barcelona have not reached the semis since 2019. For PSG, the wait has not been quite so arduous. Under Mauricio Pochettino, they were knocked out in the last four in 2021.

PSG's bosses dispensed with Pochettino after he could only take them to the last-16 in 2022.

Sequence

His replacement, Christophe Galtier, steered them to the same stage in 2023. At least his successor, Luis Enrique, has guided them to within sight of the semis.

Brest, who lie 10 points behind PSG with six games remaining, played at Lyon on Sunday night in a game that offered an intriguing insight into how the mighty can fall and the lowly can rise.

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