Paris Saint-Germain host Barcelona at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday in a Champions League match day three fixture, with kick-off at 9pm (19:00 GMT). The match is being played against a backdrop of unrest on the streets of the French capital. Holders PSG and five-time winners Barcelona are two of the strongest sides in the competition this season.
The French government is trying to bring violent protests under control, and the fate of the fixture had been debated. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the match will not be postponed or cancelled.
How PSG and Barcelona have started the season
Barcelona have a perfect record across all competitions this season, and the preview describes them as arguably one of Europe’s best teams. In La Liga they sit five points clear at the top after nine wins from nine games, and their attack has scored 39 league goals.
PSG have been equally dangerous. They scored 10 goals in their first two Champions League matches, beating Slovan Bratislava 6-1 at home before a 4-2 win away at Manchester City. In Ligue 1, PSG are second after seven matches with 14 points, behind Lyon on goal difference, having won four, drawn two and lost one.
Barcelona thumped Feyenoord 5-1 at home and recovered from going behind to win 4-1 away at Galatasaray. Those results leave PSG top of the Champions League table and Barcelona second, with both sides on six points.
Star forwards set for a headline clash
Ferran Torres and Ousmane Dembele are expected to headline the home attack. Torres, who spent four seasons at Barcelona before joining PSG, is their leading scorer with seven goals in all competitions, including a Champions League hat-trick on the opening day. Dembele has added six assists and four goals.
Barcelona’s threat centres on Raphinha and Lamine Yamal. The preview says Raphinha has 14 goals, making him the most prolific striker in European club football this season, and that a brief injury absence did not change that. Yamal, an 18-year-old winger, has nine goals and 10 assists, which the preview calls the output of a once-in-a-generation talent.
Injury blows and returns for both squads
PSG suffered a setback when left-back Nuno Mendes injured his thigh in their 3-1 Ligue 1 win at Strasbourg on Saturday. The club said he will be unavailable for the “next few weeks”, and Senny Mayulu is also sidelined with a similar problem.
Barcelona have been boosted by the return of Raphinha and midfielder Frenkie de Jong. Raphinha picked up a knock on international duty with Brazil and missed the wins over Getafe and Galatasaray. De Jong, a Dutch international, has not played this season because of a knee issue sustained at the World Cup, and both were on the bench in the 5-2 win over Real Betis.
Two defenders, however, are missing for Barcelona:
- Eric Garcia, who has a thigh injury and will be out for “three to four weeks”
- Jules Kounde, who has an ankle sprain and will miss the game against PSG
Protests, curfews and odds for the match
Lecornu said on Monday that he had asked regional authorities to impose “partial” and “localised” curfews in some cities to protect businesses. The move followed weekend demonstrations that turned into some of the worst street violence in recent years. He added: “These curfews must be local and partial. It is out of the question to put all of Paris under curfew.”
At the same news conference, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told reporters there were no plans to cancel the match. Police have arrested at least 2,400 people across France after violent groups clashed with officers and looted shops during nationwide demonstrations. Those protests drew hundreds of thousands of people who were denouncing rising living costs and poor conditions in schools.
Opta’s supercomputer gives PSG a 39.7 per cent probability of winning, while Barcelona have a 37.7 per cent chance. The model puts the odds of a draw at 22.6 per cent.
