On Wednesday, Paris Saint-Germain will host FC Barcelona at the Parc des Princes for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal encounter.
The winner of this matchup will have a golden opportunity to reach the final, as they’ll avoid Manchester City and Real Madrid. Either Barcelona or PSG will face the winner of the Atletico Madrid-Borussia Dortmund tie.
A player that the Spanish side will need to contain over the 180 minutes is Kylian Mbappé. Ahead of the first encounter, the 25-year-old spoke with French media outlet Téléfoot and shared his thoughts on the matchup.
“This is the moment for the big players, so I’m ready and, of course, as usual, I won’t hide,” Mbappé told the French media outlet (h/t Sport.fr). “Every year, at this time, it’s a turning point in the season.
“By the end of April, we’ll have an indication of what kind of season we’re likely to have. Given the momentum we currently have, I’m sure we’ll give it our all. After that, the result is in God’s hands.”
Barcelona likely anticipates that PSG’s attacking trio will feature Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé. Yet, what remains uncertain for Barcelona and many others is who manager Luis Enrique will select to complement these two players.
Per Le Parisien, Kang-in Lee will start alongside Mbappé and Dembélé in the upcoming match against Barcelona. The 22-year-old joined PSG from Mallorca last summer, indicating he may be accustomed to facing the Spanish giants.