Barcelona v PSG: Messi and co set for exit despite upturn in form

Barcelona’s 4-0 Champions League last-16 first-leg hammering to Paris Saint-Germain was arguably the shock result of the tournament thus far. The Catalan club have bounced back domestically, but Lionel Messi is still facing a tournament exit tonight.

Our traders make the hosts 4/9 favourites for the Nou Camp, but it’s the qualification odds which tell the story.

Barca are a huge 10/1 to qualify, with PSG already boasting one foot in the last eight at 1/25.

But after scoring 11 goals in their last two league games, Luis Enrique’s men are in scintillating form and have nothing to lose here.

Knowing that they need to get at their French opponents right from the off, backing Barcelona to be leading at the break looks good at 17/20.

Similarly, a Barcelona/Barcelona result on the Half-Time/Full-Time market looks appealing at 12/5.

Another tempting angle is the hosts to net first at 8/11.

And if Barca are really going to make a game of it, then backing Barca on the -1 handicap for the first half is 10/3.

Unbeaten in 17 games however, PSG will be out to see this through, and they know that one away goal would kill this tie.

So, both teams to score should be popular at 1/2 while it says everything about this clash that our traders make over 3.5 goals odds-on at 10/11.

A certain Lionel Messi is 11/4 favourite to net first, and with 14 goals and six assists 12 league games, the Argentine is bang on form.

With that in mind, Messi to net two or more at 2/1 looks appealing.

Luis Suarez is next at 3/1, while PSG will be hoping Angel di Maria can replicate his first-leg wonders and net the opening goal at odds of 9/1.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing