LONDON: There is still hope for Barcelona in the Champions League.

With Lionel Messi at his best and leading an attack that has been scoring at will, Barca take on Paris St Germain on Wednesday with reason to believe they can reverse the 4-0 loss in the first leg of the competition’s Round of 16.

After scraping 2-1 wins over Leganes and Atletico Madrid in the immediate aftermath of their humbling in Paris, the five-times European Cup winners have doled out a 6-1 thrashing to Sporting Gijon and a 5-0 hammering to Celta Vigo.

Messi has been virtually unstoppable since the defeat in Paris, scoring six goals in four games.

No side has lost 4-0 away from home in Europe and gone through in a two-legged tie, but with Barca’s prolific front three of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez they cannot be entirely discounted.

“It will be difficult, but I have unwavering belief that we can play a great game and get right back into contention,” Barcelona coach Luis Enrique, who announced last week he will leave the club at the end of the season, told reporters.

In Wednesday’s other tie, Borussia Dortmund host Benfica looking to overcome a 1-0 loss in Portugal.

Backed by a 16-game unbeaten streak, PSG head to the Camp Nou confident they will be able to withstand Barca’s pressure.

“I don’t think we have any pressure,” midfielder Marco Verratti said. “I think all the pressure is on Barcelona.”

Barca knocked PSG out at the quarter-final stage in both 2012-13 and 2014-15, but the reigning French champions have the upper hand this time and January signing Julian Draxler is confident of reaching the last eight for the fifth year in succession.

“Many teams have lost 5-0 at the Camp Nou, we know that anything is possible,” Draxler told PSG’s club website. “But deep down I’m convinced we’ll qualify for the quarter-finals. I think it will be important to attack and not just think about defending.”

REUS-LESS DORTMUND

Dortmund will have to overturn their one-goal deficit without inspirational midfielder Marco Reus, who has been ruled out of Wednesday’s match with a thigh injury.

Still, Dortmund are boosted by three consecutive Bundesliga wins since the defeat in Portugal, including a 6-2 rout of Bayer Leverkusen at home on Saturday.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who missed a penalty against Benfica, scored twice against Leverkusen. The Gabon striker leads the Bundesliga scoring charts with 21 goals.

“We’re unpredictable at the moment, difficult for any opponent,” midfielder Gonzalo Castro said.

Benfica are also in form, having won their last seven matches in all competitions. Striker Kostas Mitroglou, who scored the winner in the first leg, has grabbed 18 goals in his last 17 appearances.

They are top of the league, a point ahead of rivals Porto, and through to the Portuguese Cup final.

“We are not worried about others,” said Benfica coach Rui Vitoria. “Our focus is on us and what we have to do. Every game at this stage is a final for us. The pressure on Benfica is normal and it has to be this way.”

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2017