Champions League quarter-finals: Live scores, team news and updates as PSG host Barcelona in mouthwatering clash… while Borussia Dortmund travel to Atletico Madrid

Proper, the ball is rolling in each Paris and Madrid.

Which two of the 4 heavyweights concerned tonight will come out the happier?

I simply hope it’s as enjoyable as final night time!

I didn’t anticipate to see an enormous banner of Yoda tonight…

The Parc des Princes is wanting intimidating and the French Champions might be trying to gentle up the bottom like a lightsaber tonight.

The music is taking part in, the ambiance is at boiling level, it’ll be a cracker!

Ousmane Dembele has been a participant reborn since transferring again to his dwelling nation of France.

Many believed the winger upset throughout his time at Barcelona, however the identical cannot be stated about his time in Paris.

Whereas he solely has 14 purpose involvements, Dembele has supplied a lot extra to a aspect persons are dubbing PSG 2.0.

Can he trigger havoc towards his former aspect tonight?

Lamine Yamal, wow. That is all that is wanted.

The 16-year-old made his debut for Barcelona at simply 15 years outdated and has already made 40 appearances for Barca this season alone.

The teenager can also be already a Spain worldwide and is bamboozling defences all around the world.

Be careful for this younger star tonight, he’s sensational!

Look who has rocked up on the Parc des Princes!

Ronaldinho, a Champions League winner with Barcelona, additionally spent two years at PSG earlier than his transfer to Spain.

Oh how I miss watching him play, it introduced me pure pleasure!

Properly, the PSG lads are wanting sharp tonight.

I did not realise it was costume to impress in Paris, I am used to seeing groups stroll right into a stadium in tracksuits.

Time will inform if these gamers can have the identical swagger on the pitch as they do coming into the stadium.

It is anticipated that Kylian Mbappe might be leaving PSG on the finish of the season to maneuver to Barcelona’s bitter rivals, Actual Madrid.

Mbappe is the inheritor to Lionel Messi’s throne and has already gained the World Cup amongst many different home titles.

Nevertheless, he’s but to win the Champions League. The Frenchman got here shut with PSG in 2020, nevertheless it wasn’t to be.

Can he cap off his seven years within the French capital with European glory?

Large enhance for Barcelona that Frenkie de Jong returns from damage to begin in midfield for the primary time because the starting of March. And an enormous shock that Luis Enrique leaves Warren Zaïre-Emery on the bench and performs with an additional attacker in Marco Asensio.

Barcelona might be happy to see Frenkie de Jong again on the teamsheet.

The Dutch midfielder has missed the previous month with an ankle damage however is deemed match to begin upon his return to the squad.

Pedri additionally returns however is called on the bench.

Each are an enormous enhance for Xavi this night!

No love misplaced between Barcelona and PSG after years of squabbles over gamers. Barça hated dropping Neymar to the French. And PSG’s Qatari house owners by no means a lot preferred the style by which Barcelona ditched their Qatar Basis sponsorship.

Paris supporters have additionally by no means forgotten that tremendous comeback in 2017 with the assistance of what they noticed as some doubtful refereeing selections. First look of Barcelona gamers out on the pitch greeted with chants of F*cking Barça! From PSG ultras contained in the stadium. 

Xavi has not made wherever close to as many adjustments, he has gone with simply the 2.

Frankie de Jong is a type of, getting back from a month lay-off with damage.

Ronald Araujo is available in on the again as the opposite change. His companion on the again has damaged a Champions League report tonight.

He’s 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi, and he turns into the youngest defender to begin a Champions League quarter-final ever.

Luis Enrique is pulling no punches, the previous Barcelona supervisor has made 10 adjustments from their 1-1 draw with Clermont in Ligue 1.

Marco Asensio is the one participant who stays within the beginning 11.

Jadon Sancho begins for Borussia Dortmund.

The German aspect have made just one change to the aspect that misplaced 1-0 to Stuttgart on the weekend.

Felix Nmecha replaces Julian Brandt in midfield, whereas Marco Reus stays on the bench.

I like this graphic, extra groups ought to present their formation. Though Diego Simeone’s is simple to foretell.

Simeone has made 5 adjustments with Alvaro Morata coming in to switch the injured Memphis Depay.

It could nonetheless be over an hour till kick-off, however Atletico followers are already making themselves heard in Madrid.

The Wanda Metropolitano could be a loud place when it needs to be, so these Borussia Dortmund gamers higher be ready.

The chants are already beginning!

Solid your minds again to 2006.

Barcelona arrived within the metropolis of affection with three European cups to their identify, however they left with 4.

After targets from Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti noticed Barcelona come from behind towards Arsenal, Carles Puyol lifted the Champions League trophy above his head within the Stade de France.

It could be a distinct stadium, however the metropolis holds a variety of reminiscences for the Barcelona followers.

They’re going to be hoping for some extra to be made this night.

In the event you learn the final submit, and the article with it, this subsequent half will curiosity you even additional.

Luis Enrique was in cost the final time Barcelona claimed their fingers on ‘massive ears’ again in 2015, and in any case his time as a participant after which supervisor on the membership, the connection continues to be there.

When questioned about his time on the membership and if his type is best suited on the Nou Camp than present boss Xavi’s, his response was fairly clear.

Indisputably, it is me. It isn’t an opinion, have a look at the statistics, when it comes to possession, probabilities, urgent, trophies… Others may need a distinct opinion, nevertheless it’s positively me. My love story with Barcelona goes again a few years, however my career comes first.

They could not, may they?

Barcelona weren’t having the most effective time of it when Xavi introduced he can be leaving the membership on the finish of the season, however rather a lot has modified.

Barca have been in blistering kind ever since and are on an 11-match unbeaten run following the information.

Immediately, there at the moment are query marks over whether or not Xavi actually will go away. Will Barcelona give him a second likelihood in the event that they win tonight?

Learn what Pete Jensen, Mail Sport, needed to say about all of it:

Robert Lewandowksi loves a purpose within the Champions League.

The Polish striker has netted a complete of 94 instances within the competitors, placing him third behind Lionel Messi, and the highest scorer Cristiano Ronaldo. Not unhealthy names to be alongside.

I am positive Lewandowski would like to get to the 100 mark ultimately, can he get nearer to attaining that tonight?

I would not be stunned to see his identify on the scoresheet, that is for positive.

Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid boss, chatting with the press:

They [Borussia Dortmund] have a variety of good qualities. They’re the toughest opponent. They’ve not misplaced away from dwelling in 4 months, and they’re nice on the counter-attack. They’re very sturdy in each bins, and they’re essentially the most intense staff within the final eight of the competitors.

Barcelona are on the transfer.

Kick-off continues to be over 90 minutes away, however Barcelona are already on their method to the Parc des Princes.

We’ll discover out their staff information in lower than 40 minutes, which 11 will Xavi subject at this time?

The place I’m in London, it is gray, grim and windy. The identical can’t be stated about Paris.

The fantastic sunshine is thrashing down on the Parc des Princes, however quickly night time will fall and the soccer will start.

Let’s hope the soccer displayed tonight is as stunning as these pictures!

There are few moments in your life that you would be able to visualise the place you have been on the day a serious occasion occurred, and this is without doubt one of the few in mine.

It was a day neither Barcelona nor PSG followers will ever neglect – for various causes – the comeback of all comebacks. Euphoria for the Catalonians, despair for the Parisians.

In 2016-17, Barcelona, managed by the present PSG boss Luis Enrique, wanted to overturn a 4-0 deficit from the primary leg in Paris.

What unfolded within the second leg on the Nou Camp is probably the best comeback within the historical past of the game (please, don’t have a go at me Liverpool followers).

The five-time winners went three targets to the great after 50 minutes, and the unthinkable was in attain, nonetheless, Edinson Cavani seemingly ended these hopes by making it 3-1 with just below half an hour to go.

Then, chaos ensued. With hope all however gone, Barcelona netted three targets after the 88th minute, together with a Ninety fifth-minute winner from Sergi Roberto to finish the unimaginable.

If we get something near a tie like that this yr, we’re in for one hell of a trip.

Safety might be elevated tonight at each the Parc des Princes and Wanda Metropolitano, akin to they have been on the Emirates and the Bernabeu final night time after an ISIS media outlet shared a submit on social media with a risk in the direction of all stadiums internet hosting Champions League quarter-final first legs.

Spanish and French ministers have additionally revealed safety might be stepped up with each video games going forward as deliberate.

In line with L’Equipe, the elite counter-terrorism power the BRI (Analysis and Intervention Brigade) can have cops within the ‘quick neighborhood’ of the Parc des Princes for PSG v Barcelona.

In Spain, the Head of The Ministry of the Inside, Fernando Grand-Marlaska, stated on Tuesday morning: ‘By way of stopping the terrorist risk, the State Safety Forces and Our bodies have activated all their early warning and safety programs, in addition to all their response mechanisms prepared and prepared.’

You already know what they are saying, at all times the bridesmaid, by no means the bride (thanks to my colleague Tum Balogun for this one).

Properly, I assume it’s not strictly true with Borussia Dortmund who gained the European Cup in 1997, however they’ve felt the ache of second place rather a lot.

Over the past decade and barely extra, each side have come up brief in a Champions League remaining a mixed 3 times.

Each side disrupted the apple cart of their home leagues within the early 2010s.

Dortmund put a cease to Bayern Munich’s stranglehold on the Bundesliga successful two consecutive titles underneath the stewardship of Jurgen Klopp in 2010 and 2011. In the meantime, Diego Simeone drove his Atletico aspect to develop into the primary membership apart from Barcelona or Actual Madrid to beat La Liga in a decade.

Now the 2 practically males (groups) of the Champions League period will battle it out in a quarter-final. Atletico haven’t reached a semi-final since 2016-17, whereas Dortmund haven’t since 2012-13.

Properly, one among them will this season, and that journey continues tonight.

PSG v Barcelona has given us some video games to recollect in years passed by. I’ll be going into extra element in regard to 1 later, so don’t fear.

Tonight would be the sixth time these two sides have met in 12 years with the French Champions popping out on prime of their final two conferences three years in the past within the spherical of 16.

Tonight, the 2 sides will add one other chapter to their story as they face off on the Parc des Princes, however it will likely be very totally different from these of the previous.

Luis Enrique is within the reverse dugout, Ousmane Dembele has swapped sides, and there might be no Lionel Messi or Neymar concerned.

When these two meet, there are usually fireworks!

I knew you’d all be again tonight!

Properly, we’ve got an excellent night time in retailer for you as a result of one factor is for sure, the Champions League is stacked with prime groups this season.

At the moment’s 4 groups have a troublesome act to observe, as final night time’s Champions League motion was merely thrilling. We would like extra of that tonight.

PSG and Barcelona renew their European rivalry this night, with the added spice of the French champions’ boss Luis Enrique reuniting together with his former employers.

In the meantime, Madrid is the host of extra motion tonight as Atletico face off towards Borussia Dortmund. Will Spain’s capital metropolis present one other distinctive recreation akin to final night time’s – I hope so.

This stage of Europe’s premier soccer competitors by no means disappoints, so sit again, seize a drink, and revel in watching among the world’s finest groups battle it out.

Enjoyable, enjoyable, enjoyable… right here we come (a play on phrases for all of the Beatles lovers on the market)!