UEFA Champions League: FC Barcelona Draw Paris Saint Germain

The draw for the quarter-final stage of the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League has been completed today, and FC Barcelona have (temporarily) avoided another couple of El Clasicos, being paired with oil-rich Ligue Un leaders, Paris-Saint Germain. Managed by Carlo Ancelotti, who is no stranger to European Cup success, having won the title twice as a player, and twice as a coach – each time with AC Milan. In that sense, Ancelotti will be keen to exact revenge on the Blaugrana for eliminating Milan in the previous round.

However, Ancelotti will have to mastermind his team to victory without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is set to miss the first-leg through suspension following a straight red card in the first-leg of PSG’s Round of 16 clash with fellow La Liga representatives Valencia. On the other hand, even with the giant Swede missing through suspension, the Parisians will still be able to call upon the likes of Ezequiel Lavezzi (who has five goals to his name in seven UCL appearances), Lucas Moura and one-time Barcelona target, Thiago Silva.

Despite investment from the Qatari Investment Authority, Paris Saint-Germain have never won the UEFA Champions League and aside from success in the 2001 Intertoto Cup, Les Rouge-et-Bleu can only claim a 1996 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup triumph in European competition. Will their lack of experience hinder their chances of progression against the four-time winners?

The first-leg will be played on either the 2^nd or 3^rd of April at the Parc des Princes, with the return leg scheduled for the following week (either the 9^th or 10^th of April) at the Camp Nou.

UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final Draw:

Malaga CF vs Borussia Dortmund

Real Madrid vs Galatasaray

Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona

Bayern Munich vs Juventus