Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman does not see that there is much to separate the Catalan powerhouse and Paris Saint-Germain ahead of their upcoming UEFA Champions League knockout stage tie.
Barcelona is just coming off of a convincing 5-1 win over Deportivo Alaves in a home La Liga fixture. Barca received goals from Lionel Messi, Francisco Trincao, and Junior Firpo. In the fixture, Koeman elected not to start several players who are expected to feature against PSG.
In his post-match comments (via Marca) following the Alaves match, Koeman provided some insight into how he views this upcoming Champions League tie against PSG.
“We’re confident we’ll be able to win the tie [against PSG], knowing that we played against a strong defensive unit [in Alaves],” Koeman said.
“They have injuries, but so do we. The tie is evenly matched.
“We have to play well to go through. We’re in a good run of form, with a good streak of wins. We’re confident.”
PSG is also heading into this Champions League tie on the heels of a league win. The reigning Ligue 1 champions defeated OGC Nice by a 2-1 final score on matchday 25. Unlike Koeman, Mauricio Pochettino provided starts in this league contest to almost every player who is expected to also start against Barca.
Both teams will now go on to hold key training sessions ahead of this heavyweight Champions League knockout stage tie.
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