Keys to the game: Barcelona vs PSG

There is no test like the Champions League.

The pressure is on and fans around the world are on the verge of whether Lionel Messi and his company are still giants of world football.

It’s a chance to prove the skeptics wrong.

Editing couldn’t have come at a better time.

PSG are without Neymar and Barcelona have seemed unbeatable at the national level.

Will Barça be humiliated or is it just the start of an unexpected race to become kings of Europe?

Photo by David S. Bustamante / Soccrates / Getty Images

Barca have been on both sides of the Champions League comebacks.

As fans, we live and die for these moments.

A major criticism of the Ernesto Valverde era was the lack of discernible tactical vision in knockout matches.

It’s hard to do well. Pep Guardiola, for all his genius, has sometimes over-analyzed his game plan for these great matches at Manchester City and Bayern Munich.

How will Ronald Koeman approach the game?

Barca could play with risk aversion. This would mean intentionally seeking to dominate possession. If the game remains weak, then it is anyone’s game in the second leg.

Or, especially seeing an opportunity with Neymar’s absence, Koeman could see it as an opportunity to give his side the green light in the attack.

We know that PSG will seek to take advantage of the speed of Kylian Mbappe.

Barca could counter this by taking advantage of Ousmane Dembele’s pace on the wing and Messi who will linger at the top, ready to pounce at any moment.

If they go down that route, Frenkie de Jong will have to continue shopping in the box. It would also help Jordi Alba and Sergino Dest to be as aggressive as possible on the overlap.

If they go down this route, the danger will be whether Sergio Busquets and the defensive line are ready to be counterattack killers on the other end.

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We know this is an area in desperate need of cleaning up.

In the Champions League, a lack of focus will end your chances as much as anything.

It is necessary on both the offensive and the defensive side.

Antoine Griezmann will he break his first home opportunity?

Will Barcelona score tight and strong on defensive save stops?

What is the risk that this team, given their recent track record, are willing to take playing at the back?

Ultimately, being mentally prepared to play has a lot to do with confidence and the desire to win.

Barca have won in recent times and overcame adversity. They are at the peak of their confidence.

But how badly these players want to win will be in full screen. When you are fully focused and engaged in the mission, you enter the zone of a true competitor.

Making mistakes becomes less likely. Taking advantage of your opponent’s mistakes is where you win the game.

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Messi is at his best when the team plays well as a whole.

Luckily for Barca, La Pulga has regained his touch in almost every area of ​​his game. This means that at all times, magic is a possibility.

But there is nothing to rely on.

The very presence of Ousmane Dembele is a fear factor for PSG. If Barca can establish it early, the game opens.

Having Pedri and Frenkie in advanced and aggressive positions adds another dimension that Parisians have to contend with.

If the ball is moving fast and Barca play unpredictably when needed, the talent on the pitch will take care of the rest.

Whoever it is when the big moment comes, has to make it count.

We are in for a good one! Visca Barca.