One of the best European rivalries will be renewed on Wednesday at the Parc des Princes when Paris Saint-Germain host FC Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
On this episode of PSG Talking, I preview the first leg of PSG’s clash against Barcelona with the help of Dan Hilton from The Barcelona Podcast and Jonathan Johnson from CBS Sports. We discuss every angle of the highly-anticipated rematch from 2021 and Johnson also updates us on the latest transfer news involving PSG.
Up first is my interview with Dan and we begin with Barcelona’s finances and whether their fans expected the club to reach this stage of the Champions League. We then pivot to Barcelona’s recent results, form, and key injuries.
We know Kylian Mbappé will be a major focal point for Xavi, Barcelona’s manager, and I ask Dan how he thinks the Catalan club will slow down the French superstar and whether he is looking forward to facing him next season when Mbappé likely makes the move to Real Madrid.
I wrap up the interview with Dan by asking him about Xavi Simons, who began his career in the Barcelona academy before making the move to PSG, and his prediction for the first leg of the tie.
Next is my interview with Jonathan Johnson and I begin with the PSG and Barcelona rivalry and where it ranks among matchups that occur in the Champions League. I also ask JJ about the one Barcelona player that PSG must shut down to be successful and who for PSG, besides Mbappé, needs to have a standout performance.
Johnson gives us his prediction for the match before switching to transfer talk. I asked about Jules Koundé’s future and whether PSG could sign the Barcelona defender this summer. I also ask Johnson whether Arsenal FC was a realistic landing spot for Xavi Simons, the latest on Leny Yoro, and an under-the-radar Ligue 1 player that PSG should target this summer.
The interview with Johnson concludes with his thoughts on Real Madrid’s stance on not allowing Mbappé to play in the Summer Olympics with France and the impact that may have on the relationship between the two sides.
As always, thank you for listening, and be sure to subscribe and rate the show wherever you download your podcasts. We’re also on Substack! Subscribe for free today to access premium PSG content.
