This Tuesday, October 20, Paris Saint-Germain (1st) will face FC Barcelona (2nd) at the Parc des Princes (kick-off at 9:00 PM, CET) for the third matchday of the 2026-2027 Champions League. As is the case before every match, here is a look at the Parisians’ opponents.
The situation at FC Barcelona –
Barça is, of course, a major historic club; even when going through a “crisis,” they consistently remain near the top of La Liga and often make impressive runs in European competition. This has been the case recently—Barça has managed well, despite lingering financial issues that still need to be resolved.
From a sporting perspective, the arrival of coach Hansi Flick in the summer of 2024 has been a success. Beyond their style of play, Barça has returned to winning titles—though the Champions League, which has also eluded PSG, remains missing from their trophy cabinet. Winning it is an explicit goal this season, alongside securing more domestic trophies. The year has started exceptionally well: they have won all 11 of their matches so far, scoring 48 goals in the process.
The 2026 summer transfer window –
Source: Transfermarkt.
Departures:
Arrivals:
Key statistics –
This season, Barça boasts one of the second-most prolific attacks in the Champions League with 9 goals scored (PSG leads with 10, while the lowest-scoring teams have 1). Defensively, they rank among the top three, having conceded only 2 goals (Arsenal leads with 0 goals conceded).
arça’s top scorers are Karim Adeyemi (26-year-old forward) and Raphinha (28-year-old forward), who each have 2 goals—placing them in a tie for 9th in the Champions League (the leaders are Nicolo Tresoldi, Erling Haaland, and Ermedin Demirovic, with 3 goals). Lamine Yamal (19-year-old winger) is the Spanish club’s top assist provider, with 4 assists, ranking him 1st in the Champions League.
Barça’s last 5 matches –
Only Barcelona’s possession percentage is shown, and Barça’s shot statistics are listed first (where data is available).
16/09/2026 (La Liga) – Barcelona vs. Santander: 7-2. Formation: 4-2-3-1. 70% possession. 28 shots (11 on target) vs. 5 shots (3 on target).
19/09/2026 (La Liga) – Sevilla vs. Barcelona: 1-3. Formation: 4-2-3-1. 69% possession. 24 shots (7 on target) vs. 7 shots (4 on target).
10/09/2026 (La Liga) – Barcelona vs. Getafe: 2-4. Formation: 4-2-3-1. 82% possession. 22 shots (8 on target) vs. 4 shots (1 on target).
13/10/2026 (Champions League) – Galatasaray vs. Barcelona: 1-4. Formation: 4-2-3-1. 65% possession. 23 shots (12 on target) vs. 2 shots (2 on target).
17/10/2026 (La Liga) – Real Betis vs. Barcelona: 2-5. Formation: 4-2-3-1. 58% possession. 17 shots, 11 on target, compared to 8 shots (6 on target).
The Barça squad:
Goalkeepers – Garcia, Livakovic, Szczesny.
Defenders – Baldé, Campos, Cancelo, Cubarsi, Espart, Matin.
Midfield – Bernal, De Jong, Fariñas, Fermin, Gavi, Pedri, Rodri.
Forwards – Abdeljarim, Adeyemi, Gordon, Jesus, Raphinha, Yamal.
Out – Christensen, Garcia, Koundé.
Probable lineup in a 4-2-3-1 formation:
Raphinha
Gordon – Lopez – Yamal
Pedri Rodri
Cancelo – Martin – Cubarsi – Espart
Garcia
Barcelona’s style of play:
Hansi Flick is undoubtedly attack-minded—favoring possession and a high tempo. He isn’t afraid to play with a very high defensive line, often employing an offside trap to suffocate the opposition. However, this approach occasionally leaves gaps, which could prove costly if PSG are in good form. While an adjustment is possible, it is unlikely that Barça and their German coach will abandon their core philosophy. It could turn into an absolutely wild match.
