Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have taken a big step towards finishing in the top four and are closer to the goal than Barcelona and Liverpool, respectively.
Atletico and Barcelona have already faced each other four times this season, with both teams recording two victories each.
The "Jorgandžije" celebrated last Wednesday at the "Nou Camp" (2:0), so tonight at their "Wanda Metropolitano" they will try to maintain their advantage and eliminate the "Blaugrana" for the third time in their quarter-final duels, after 2014 and 2016.
BARCELONA CALLS FOR 2017 RENOVATION
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick believes in the popular remontada (turnaround).
"Tomorrow we have to focus on playing as well as possible, not on the result. When we play great, the result comes by itself and then we score a lot of goals," said the German expert.
Flick expects a different match in the second leg.
"I have a feeling that tomorrow we will have a different game, the atmosphere is already "hot". It will be very difficult and demanding, but I believe in my team and my players. A turnaround is possible, of course. Why not? We have to be strong in defense, efficient in attack, efficient in pressing", emphasized the Barcelona coach.
Much is expected from Barca's pearl, Lamin Jamal.
"Lamin has been playing great lately and I'm very happy with him. We have to help him, we have to make it easier for him, the other players have to open up on the pitch and create space for passes. We have to play as one, as a team. I don't focus on individuals, even though we have fantastic players. Momentum often breaks the game, and I hope he will be on our side this time. Jamal is the best one-on-one player in the world, he has no equal," says Flik.
Barça convincingly defeated Espanyol in the city derby over the weekend and moved even closer to the title.
"The mentality and energy in the team are great. We achieved an important victory against Espanyol in the derby, and the public reacted brilliantly to that game. It shows that they are aware of our good games."
According to him, in the rematch, every individual will be equally important.
"We have to believe in ourselves and believe in a turnaround. I think we have everything we need to do that, and, with all due respect, we have often been a much better team in head-to-head matches with Atletico," said Flick.
The Catalans were unhappy with the refereeing in the first leg, which was refereed by Istvan Kovac, and even complained to UEFA. Clemon Turpan will referee the second leg.
"I have no comment on the referees at the moment. I consider Klemon Turpan to be a top referee with great experience. I have no doubts about him," said Flik.
FLIK SE ŽALIO NA TEREN
Spanish media reports that during training at the Metropolitano, the Barcelona coach complained to delegate Christian Cofeda about the condition of the pitch, namely the height of the grass, as well as the bumps, especially, allegedly on the side where Jamal will be.
Lamin Jamal made it clear that Barcelona wants to reach the semi-finals.
"We are a young team and we want to reach the semi-finals. We will do our best to do that. We have to play the way we know how, strongly and efficiently. We don't need to think about a miracle - we lost 0:2 in the first game, but we have proven many times that we can catch up," said one of the best footballers of today.
When the journalist stated that the turnaround depended on him, he had a ready answer:
"I'm lucky to play for Barcelona, where my teammates are world-class footballers. I don't think the turnaround depends only on me, but I wouldn't mind bringing what we want to the team."
JAMAL: LEBRON AS AN INSPIRATION
A few days ago, Lamin posted a profile photo of LeBron James and his picture on his Instagram after Cleveland's historic comeback against Golden State in the 2016 NBA Finals.
"I put LeBron on my profile as an inspiration. I will try to do what he did on the court. I promise the fans that we will fight until the last drop of sweat. If we do get eliminated, it will be honorable," Jamal emphasized.
He added that the Champions League and the World Cup are every player's dreams, and that he can't wait to get on the pitch. He said that he likes taking responsibility in big matches.
SIMEONE: OUR GOAL IS TO PROGRESS
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone says they have a plan to stop Barcelona.
"Considering that we play against Barcelona many times, we know how good they are, but we also know that our goal is to advance. We play at home, we have a plan, but once the game starts everything can change. The most important thing in games like this is to believe in what you are doing every second and to believe in yourself," said the popular Cholo.
ATLETIKO LAST LOST IN THE CLUB KNOCKOUT STAGE AT HOME IN 1997
Interestingly, the last time Atletico lost a Champions League knockout stage match on home soil was in 1997, when Simeone was an Atletico player.
LIVERPUL SE UZDA U MOĆ „ENFILDA“
The current European champion, Paris Saint-Germain, arrives at Anfield with a two-goal lead from Paris (2:0), and judging by everything shown, the Saints could have celebrated more convincingly at the Parc des Princes.
"We played the first game, now we have the second one. We know how difficult it is to play against a team like Liverpool, on their field and in this competition. It will be difficult, that's clear, and there will be difficult moments. I expect a very close match and we have to be ready to overcome them," said Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique, adding:
"In modern football, everything can change quickly. In five minutes you can score or concede two goals. This will be a tricky game. It's true that we were better in the first match, but everything is still open. The key is to prepare as always – with the mentality to win."
"Anfield" will wear the "Reds", but Enrique believes that it will only be additional motivation for his players.
"It's always easier to play at home with the support of the fans. There's a special bond between the team and the crowd. We know how difficult it is to play at Anfield, but it's an extra motivation for us."
PSG eliminated Liverpool on penalties one round earlier last season.
"The most important thing for me is how we deal with difficult situations. That is our great strength. We have the same mentality as last year when we came here and had to win after losing the first game," concluded Enrique.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who has been under fire by the island's media for a long time, believes his team is ready for a turnaround.
"We have shown many times this season that we can play big games. In 49 home matches, we have scored two or more goals in 36. We believe we can do something special, but we have to be at the top level because we are playing against PSG. It is difficult, but not impossible," said Slot.
A shot from the iconic "Anfield" could "push" Liverpool towards the goal.
"The approach won't be much different than in Paris. I never ask the team to just defend. We pressed them high up several times, but they punished us from those situations. And tomorrow we will take a risk and try to press them, although we know how difficult it is. Anfield can make the difference."
PSG will be looking for opportunities through their quick wings. The French giants had over 75 percent of the ball possession in the first leg.
"We have to find a balance between attack and defense. To attack, you have to have the ball. Last time they had 76 percent possession and that's something we have to change. If we have more of the ball, we will have more chances," Slot believes.
There is a lot of talk about 17-year-old Rio Engumoa who scored a goal against Fulham last weekend.
"He can respond to these kinds of games. He has a strong character and quality. He's not afraid, he's focused and he's already shown that he can play at this level. With experienced players around him, that helps him even more," Slot concluded.
SCHEDULE
Tuesday
9:00 p.m. Atletico Madrid – Barcelona (first leg 2:0)
9:00 p.m. Liverpool – Paris Saint-Germain (first leg 0:2)
Wednesday
9:00 p.m. Bayern Munich – Real Madrid (first leg 2:1)
9:00 p.m. Arsenal – Sporting (first leg 1:0)
