Two of Europe's biggest clubs meet in the French capital on Wednesday night as Paris Saint-Germain host Barcelona for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

It will be the third time that the two sides have met in the competition this season after each recording a win over the other in Group F.

PSG

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The Parisiens earned plenty of plaudits from around Europe in the last round as they defeated Jose Mourinho's Chelsea. With the first leg ending 1-1 in France, Laurent Blanc's side earned a dramatic away goals victory at Stamford Bridge to seal their progress.

PSG will be feeling even more confident going into Wednesday's match after lifting the Coupe de la Ligue on the weekend thanks to a 4-0 thumping of Bastia. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani scored two goals each as the club won its third piece of silverware in two years.

In terms of their Ligue 1 title defence, the reigning champions currently hold a one-point lead at the top of the table. Their domestic form has been impressive in recent weeks, with three wins from their last four games.

However, despite their success at home in recent seasons, PSG will be well aware that their performances in European competition have not reflected their enviable wealth and star-studded playing squad.

Their last two appearances in the Champions League have ended at the quarter-final stage, including a two-legged defeat two years ago against Barcelona. Meanwhile, they suffered an agonising away-goals loss to Chelsea this time last season.

Laurent Blanc could guide the team to a collection of domestic riches at the end of the campaign, but the former France international may be out of a job in the summer if he fails to get the team into the semis of club football's most dazzling tournament.

Recent form: WWWLDD
Recent form (all competitions): DLWWWW

Barcelona

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Barcelona remain one of the favourites to win this season's Champions League following a sensational campaign so far.

The Catalan giants won five of their group games, including a victory against PSG, before beating Premier League champions Manchester City in the last 16.

Their victory over City looked routine in the end, despite the English side's resilient display in the Camp Nou. A 2-1 triumph in the first leg away from home set them up nicely for the return tie, which they won 1-0.

Barca currently lead the La Liga standings by two points, but their title bid suffered a setback at the weekend as they uncharacteristically threw away a two-goal lead to draw with Sevilla.

Having won their previous nine games in all competitions, a meltdown at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium has given manager Luis Enrique food for thought ahead of his team's trip to France. Could the result lead to Enrique shaking up his side? It remains to be seen, but the former midfielder admitted after the game that his players lost control of the match.

Despite that blip, the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez will all be expected to give the visitors a great chance of earning a first-leg advantage against PSG. Messi has netted an incredible 46 goals already this season, while Neymar and Suarez have scored 29 and 16 respectively.

Recent form: WWWWWW
Recent form (all competitions): WWWWWD

Team News

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PSG's victory over Chelsea in the last round came at a price, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marco Verratti and Serge Aurier all picking up suspensions.

The hosts have also seen injuries deplete their ranks in recent times. David Luiz and Thiago Motta are both expected to miss out due to hamstring and thigh problems respectively.

Barcelona do not have to deal with such a selection dilemma as their opponents, but Dani Alves will miss the game because of a ban. Meanwhile, Javier Mascherano could be back in the starting lineup after dropping out of Saturday's draw with Sevilla.

Luis Enrique is likely to name his strongest possible XI in the hope that they can leave France with a positive result ahead of the second leg at the Camp Nou, which means that Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez are all expected to feature.

PSG possible starting lineup:
Sirigu; Maxwell, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Van der Wiel; Matuidi, Pastore, Cabaye, Rabiot; Lavezzi, Cavani

Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Bravo; Mathieu, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Iniesta, Rakitic; Neymar, Messi, Suarez

Head To Head

There was little to separate the teams earlier in the season as they went head to head in Group F. PSG recorded a 3-2 win at the Parc des Princes before Barca gained their revenge by earning a 3-1 victory at the Camp Nou to confirm their position as group winners.

Their meeting in the last 16 during the 2012-13 campaign threw up even more drama, with Barcelona going through on away goals following a thrilling 3-3 aggregate draw. Having struggled against the four-time champions in recent seasons, PSG will be desperate to finally oust them from the competition.

We say: PSG 1-2 Barcelona

Barcelona's recent form means that they head to France as the favourites for this game. If they are able to play to their full potential, then it is hard to see how PSG will stop them. The hosts will be expected to put up a stern fight, particularly after their win over Chelsea in the last round, but suspensions and injuries are sure to hamper their progress.

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