Paris Saint-Germain face Barcelona on Tuesday 20 October at 9pm local time at the Parc des Princes in the UEFA Champions League League Stage. The French club, sitting second in Ligue 1 with 14 points from seven games (four wins, two draws and one loss), approach this heavyweight clash on a two-game winning streak and with recent form of four wins and one loss from their last five matches.
Coming off a 3-1 away win at Strasbourg last Saturday, where the Parisian goals came from Ilya Zabarnyi, Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doue, Luis Enrique's side returns to elite European competition. They produced a standout result last week by winning 4-2 at Manchester City, with goalscorers including Désiré Doue, Ousmane Dembélé, Vitinha and Maghnes Akliouche. This positive momentum contrasts with their only defeat of the season, which came a month ago. The team has scored fourteen goals and conceded nine in the league this campaign, showing a +5 goal difference.
The likely lineup
The Spanish manager is expected to deploy a 4-3-3 formation, similar to the one used against Strasbourg. The defence would feature Hernández and Digne as full-backs, with Ilya Zabarnyi and Beraldo in central defence. In midfield, Warren Zaïre-Emery, João Neves and Pedro Fernández would provide the balance. The attack could see Ferran Torres, the club's top scorer this season with four goals in seven appearances, alongside Maghnes Akliouche and Kvaratskhelia.
Goalkeeper Safonov, who started the last few matches, is expected between the posts. The Parisian side has scored fourteen goals in seven league matches this campaign, showing an attack in good form.
Barcelona's form
FC Barcelona also arrive in high spirits after a comprehensive 5-2 win at Real Betis this weekend. The Catalan team, led by talents like Lamine Yamal and Pedri, has also strung together victories in both the league and Europe. Their last starting eleven in a 4-2-3-1 with Gabriel Jesus up front presents a genuine attacking threat.
This match is a major test for Paris Saint-Germain's European ambitions. A win would help consolidate a strong position in a very demanding group. The international break follows immediately after this European double-header.
