PREVIEW | FC Barcelona v Paris Saint-Germain
Fresh from another exciting comeback in the league, this time at home to Real Sociedad, FC Barcelona resume their Champions League campaign, also at the Estadi Olímpic, on Wednesday at 9pm CEST against none other than Paris Saint-Germain.
It's a game buzzing with attraction wherever you look. For a start, it's a battle between two teams that could quite feasibly go on to meet each other again in May's grand final in Budapest. Five-time winners Barça are always among the favourites to scoop the biggest trophy of them all, and PSG are the defending champions, having finally conquered Europe for the first time with that spectacular 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan last summer.
The winners of 11 of the last 13 editions of Ligue 1 also reached the final of the Club World Cup in the summer (losing to Chelsea) and beat Spurs to win the European Super Cup earlier this season.
Head to head
This game is also the resumption of one of the most fascinating rivalries in European football of the last few years.
No Barça fan will need reminding of that extraordinary night in 2017, when the team managed to do the seemingly impossible and bounce back from 4-0 defeat in Paris to win the second leg 6-1. Sergi Roberto's last second winner is now etched in blaugrana folklore.
But PSG have more than avenged that loss. In 2021, they came back to Barcelona and won by a resounding 4-1, and this time there were no second heroics from Barça. And in 2024, Barça looked to be on fine course after winning 3-2 at the Parc des Princes, but then crumbled to 4-1 defeat in the return, and that was the end of another Champions League campaign.
Coming early in the League Phase of the revamped format, Wednesday's rematch doesn't have the same do-or-die urgency to it is as those knockout encounters, but it does offer a fabulous chance for both sides to measure themselves against the very best. And for fans to enjoy watching them.
Lucho back in town
This game also presents the chance to welcome home a man who did so much for FC Barcelona in the past, but is now defending the interests of PSG. Both as a player and as the architect of Barça's last victorious UCL campaign in 2015, Luis Enrique will always be treated well in the Catalan capital, even though this time Culers wilñ be hoping he goes home disappointed.
Normally leading the PSG attack is the man who just last week was crowned winner of the Ballon d'Or. Ousmane Dembélé, somebody else who knows FC Barcelona inside-out, playing 127 games in blaugrana from 2017 to 2023. Unfortunately for him, he won't be able to perform in front of his old friends because he's currently nursing a hamstring injury.
PSG form guide
PSG are in their usual spot at the top of the French league table, albeit only on goal difference ahead of Lyon. They have 15 points from a possible 18 after losing Le Classique to Marseille a couple of weeks ago.
Like Barça, who opened their Champions League with a 2-1 win thanks to Marcus Rashford's brace at Newcastle, PSG also got off to s strong start, crushing Atalanta 4-0 in the French capital. Marquinhos, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes and Goncalo Ramos got the goals.
Team news
It's good to know both Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde are back to full fitness, but Hansi Flick is still missing the services of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Gavi, Joan Garcia, Fermín López and Raphinha, all key losses but for which the coach has ample cover, as shown in the league victory at the weekend.
Flick has worries, but Luis Enrique arguably has it even worse, with a number of his biggest names unavailable. As well as Dembélé, the visitors were also expected to be missing Desire Doue, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and captain Marquinhos. And as if that wasn't bad enough, the win over Auxerre at the weekend came at a serious cost. Vitinha, who came third in the Ballon d'Or vote, and Georgian winger Kvaratskhelia were both hurt in that game, casting doubt over their chances of featuring on Wednesday.
Did you know?
PSG are looking to become the first team to ever win three times away to Barça in European competitions.
This will be Lamine Yamal's 24th Champions League game, meaning he is set to break the record for Champions League appearances under the age of 19. Curiously, the previous record holder, Warren Zaïre-Emery, will be lining up the opposition.
Barça as a team could set a new record too. On Sunday they equalled the all-time best of 44 games scoring in all competitions, one that has stood since the 1940s. A goal on Wednesday and they'll have gone one more.
What they're saying
Both coach Hansi Flick and Pedri spoke to the press on Tuesday.
"From the very first second to the final whistle, we’ll have to play at our highest level. This is the Champions League and there’s no room for making mistakes," said the coach.
The midfielder maestro added that “we want to play these games, because they’re the best in the world and they’re the ones you enjoy most.”