Barcelona’s Plan for the Paris Showdown

Barcelona’s plan for the crucial showdown in Paris is taking shape as Xavi and his team aim to meticulously prepare for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals against PSG. While the Catalan side holds the ‘advantage’ over Parisians in terms of being able to focus solely on the European clash, they still need to manage two upcoming fixtures: the French Cup semi-finals on Wednesday and a league match against bottom-placed Clermont on Saturday.

Nevertheless, the Barcelona coach has already outlined the training schedule for the week leading up to the trip to Paris. The team had a rest day on Monday and did not train on Tuesday. Moving forward, training sessions are scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with Sunday set as a rest day.

PHYSICAL PREPARATION Xavi will use these days to follow the usual training routine designed by the fitness coaches. Initially, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday will involve higher intensity workouts with longer durations. From Saturday onwards, the focus will shift towards tapering down the physical load in preparation for the match.

On Tuesday at 9:30 AM, the team will depart from the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper to the airport, where they will catch a charter flight at 10:30 AM bound for Paris. They are expected to arrive at 12:30 PM and then proceed to the Hotel du Collectionneur, the team’s headquarters for the night before and during the Champions League match day.

Xavi will address the media from the press room at Parc des Princes at 6:15 PM, accompanied by a player yet to be determined, and the team will train on the pitch at 7:00 PM ahead of the crucial encounter.