(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Memories of their agonising Champions League exits in the last two seasons will spur Paris Saint-Germain on when they host Barcelona in the first leg of their quarter-final on Wednesday.
The clubs meet at the Parc des Princes with the French champions desperate to make it to the last four after losing to Barcelona and Chelsea in the quarter-finals in each of the last two seasons, both times on away goals.
But their 3-2 win against the Catalans in Paris in the group stage, and the character they showed to beat Chelsea on away goals in the last 16, despite the sending-off of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the first half at Stamford Bridge, suggest they have what it takes to make the leap forward this time.
"Beating Chelsea, in a stadium where it is very difficult to get a result, showed that we have the quality, so why not do it again," said former Barcelona defender Maxwell at an eve-of-game press conference at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday.
The Brazilian talked of reaching the semi-finals as a "dream", but he and his team-mates must work out how to avoid conceding a potentially crucial away goal against the potent Barcelona front three of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.
Asked if the thrilling win against the Catalans last September could be used as a reference point, PSG coach Laurent Blanc responded: "It is one of many games we have looked at to prepare this match.
"We have looked at what we need to do and what we need to avoid doing. We can draw lessons from that game, because we won it and are one of the only sides in Europe to have scored three goals against Barcelona.
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