Paris St-Germain vs Barcelona

Ligue 1 champions Paris St-Germain are boosted by the return to action of midfielder Marco Verratti, who had been out with a calf injury.

The Italian played an hour in Friday’s 3-0 win over Bordeaux, but fellow midfielders Thiago Motta (suspended) and Javier Pastore (injured) are out.

La Liga champions Barcelona may recall defender Gerard Pique for the Champions League last-16 first leg tie.

But full-back Aleix Vidal is out for five months with an ankle injury.

These two sides met at the quarter-final stage in 2015, with Barca progressing after a 5-1 aggregate victory, while the Catalan side also progressed past the French team on away goals in 2013.

„Obviously it’s talked about in the dressing room, but each year it’s different,“ said PSG winger Angel di Maria.

„It’s a new era, with new players and it’s a new opportunity for everyone.“

MATCH FACTS

• Barcelona have won their last three games against Paris St-Germain (eight scored, two conceded).

• PSG have never kept a clean sheet against Barcelona (nine games in all competitions).

• The French side have lost only one of their last 42 home games in European competition (won 26, drawn 15). It came against Barcelona in April 2015 in the Champions League quarter-finals (1-3).

• Edinson Cavani has scored six goals in as many games in the Champions League this season, which equals his best tally in the competition (six in 2014-15). However, he has never scored in 350 minutes of Champions League action against Barcelona.

• Lionel Messi scored 10 goals in the 2016-17 Champions League group stages, the second-most in the competition’s group phase after Cristiano Ronaldo’s 11 last season.

• Neymar has scored five goals in four games against PSG, his highest tally in the Champions League. He is the top goal creator in this season’s competition with seven assists.