This Wednesday, on Matchday 2 of the 2025-2026 Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain will face FC Barcelona at the Montjuïc Stadium (kick-off at 9 p.m., CET). Ahead of this match, the press tried to guess the team that Parisian coach Luis Enrique will field.
Le Parisien (4-3-3) –
Barcola – Mayulu – Lee
Ruiz – Vitinha – Neves
Mendes – Pacho – Zabarnyi – Hakimi
Chevalier
L’Equipe (4-3-3) –
Barcola – Mayulu – Lee
Ruiz – Vitinha – Neves
Mendes – Pacho – Zabarnyi – Hakimi
Chevalier
A perfectly possible lineup, perhaps a little simpler here than in some matches. There’s no need to think about how to manage the rest of the game; the big match of the week is clearly tonight. However, there’s some strong competition in the squad, and we must never forget that Luis Enrique knows how to make strong choices. This is without giving the press the slightest indication.
There are also fitness doubts. João Neves is back in the squad after a two-week absence; how much playing time can he get? Vitinha is ready after a minor injury on Saturday; we can assume he’ll start, but it’s not entirely certain. Fabian Ruiz suffered some pain and was rested; can he play the entire match?
There’s also the difficult choice of starting 9: Gonçalo Ramos has experience, but hasn’t seemed in good form lately. Senny Mayulu has more fire; he was quite successful against Atalanta, except that it’s a different opponent. Lee Kang-in has done it sometimes, but he can lack agility. He could play more as a winger, or even in midfield.
So, we’re wary. Certainty won’t come until about an hour before the match with the official announcement of the lineups.
