The Guardian (Nigeria)

Barca eye € 12.5 million largesse for PSG win

• Dortmund, Atletico Madrid clash again

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BARCELONA are aiming to reach the UEFA Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2019 as they take on Paris Saint- Germain today.

The PSG game will serve as the second leg of the quarterfin­al tie, with Barcelona coming on the back of a 3- 2 win in the first leg.

Simply a draw, therefore, would be enough for Barça to seal a berth in the semifinal stage, where they will face either Atletico Madrid or Borussia Dortmund.

A ticket to the UCL semis could go a long way in helping Barcelona somewhat restore the club’s lost glory.

The Catalans, after all, have struggled a lot in European competitio­ns lately. Before this season, they were notably knocked out on UCL group stages for two consecutiv­e campaigns.

However, apart from gaining prestige, Barcelona has much more to play for as they host PSG at Estadio Olimpic.

A ticket to the semifinal stage of the Champions

League could go a long way in aiding Barcelona’s economic situation, as they would stand to earn € 12.5 million if they get past PSG, reports Alex Pintanel.

From the face of it, a figure of just € 12.5 million might appear minuscule for any top European club. But as far as Barcelona are concerned, it could go a long way in aiding their finances.

It must also be noted that the final figure from a hypothetic­al UCL semifinal ticket could add a lot more than just € 12.5 million. That’s because Barcelona would be able to monetise two more matches at the highest level of football and the home game could easily bring in at least € 4- 5 million in revenue.

The Catalans are facing a precarious situation and are desperate to return to the 1: 1 rule in the coming summer. But with Libero still holding back the funds, the club will take every penny they get from other sources.

Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund will host Atletico Madrid at Signal Iduna Park hoping to overturn a 1- 2 deficit from the first leg in Madrid.

Atletico have the advantage though and are now unbeaten in 17 home Champions League knockout matches.

Additional­ly, they are entering the game after defeating third placed Girona 3- 1 in their La Liga fixture at the weekend, pushing them closer to earning a place in the Champions League next season.

 ?? ?? Raphinha scored twice when Barca beat PSG 3- 2 in Paris… last week.
Raphinha scored twice when Barca beat PSG 3- 2 in Paris… last week.

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