Former Argentine Forward Analyzes Why Barcelona’s ‘Predictable’ Play Makes PSG the Favorites in Upcoming Champions League Tie

Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi reacts during the Spanish League football match between Cadiz and Barcelona at the Ramon de Carranza stadium in Cadiz on December 5, 2020. (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO / AFP) (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO/AFP via Getty Images)

FC Barcelona has not had it all go its way this season. The Catalan side has had numerous streaks broken this season, such as its seven-year home unbeaten run in the UEFA Champions League. Now, Ronald Koeman and his side await a daunting challenge against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16.

Former Argentine and PSG forward Omar da Fonseca has not been relatively impressed with watching Barca play this season. He believes that the La Liga side has been a shell of its former shelf. He spoke to Le Parisien about Barca’s roller-coaster form this season.

“The good players exist but the team doesn’t manage to develop them together,” Da Fonseca said. “The worst thing is that we don’t have rational explanations: Barca plays badly, Barca doesn’t scare anymore, Barca bores, Barca doesn’t score. All the deficiencies are amplified.

“Before, there used to be this kind of superiority imposed on the opponent at the beginning of a match. Control, possession, an unbalanced side. Today, there is passivity, everything is predictable, you fall asleep. Griezmann, Messi, Coutinho, nobody can say that these three players are bad. But I think, and I’m not the only one, that the three are incompatible.”

Da Fonseca does not have a clear favorite for the fixture, but if the tie were to be played this month in a hypothetical sense, he would be backing PSG to progress on through to the Champions League quarterfinal.

“In the current state of affairs, if you tell me that it will be the same players, under the same conditions, I don’t want to talk about a false clash between PSG and Barca, but if there is one favorite to emerge, it’s Paris,” Da Fonseca said

The tie will surely be one to watch for fans of both teams and neutrals as well.

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Tags Barcelona Champions League La Liga Omar da Fonseca
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