Paris Saint-Germain to face Barcelona in Champions League round of 16

French champions Paris Saint-Germain have been drawn with Barcelona for the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

Les Parisiens finished their group in the top spot ahead of RB Leipzig on head-to-head away goals and they are now scheduled to face the Blaugrana, who were the runners-up in their group, similarly on away goals, after the disappointing 3-0 home loss to Juventus.

The Ligue 1 holders won’t have fond memories of the previous meeting with the Spanish giants where they became the first club in the history of the Champions League to squander a 4-0 advantage from the first leg to get eliminated.

The Blaugrana picked up a stunning 6-1 win at home in 2017 to secure the unexpected comeback at the round of 16 stage and that included three goals after the 87th minute when Neymar stepped up with one of his career-defining displays.

The Brazilian was in the opposition ranks that night and he came up with a terrific end to the game as he scored twice (once from the penalty spot) and provided the cross for the 95th-minute winner from Sergi Roberto, which paved the way for the greatest comeback in European history.

The refereeing decisions on the night were not the best, but Les Parisiens only had themselves to blame for squandering a healthy advantage. Just months later, Unai Emery was replaced by Thomas Tuchel at the helm while Neymar, who was the focus of attention during the game, also joined Les Parisiens in a world-record deal.

Les Parisiens will be aiming to avenge the 2017 result when they come up against the Catalan giants in February this year. Neymar could be available to face his former employers after avoiding a serious ankle injury during the club’s recent 1-0 defeat to Lyon in Ligue 1.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com