Barcelona will host defending champion Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday in a Champions League group-stage match that carries the weight of a final, pitting two of Europe’s most powerful clubs and long-time rivals against each other at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

Barcelona’s resurgence

For Barcelona, the meeting is both a test and a chance to re-establish themselves as a continental force.

Their last Champions League crown came in 2015, when current PSG boss Luis Enrique was in charge.

Now under Hansi Flick, the Catalan club has returned to form, winning five straight matches across competitions and reclaiming the top spot in La Liga after Real Madrid’s derby slip.

The spark came in their European opener. With teenage star Lamine Yamal sidelined, Marcus Rashford – on loan from Manchester United – struck twice to sink Newcastle at St. James’ Park.

The performance marked Barcelona’s intent: clinical finishing, defensive resilience and a reminder that their attack remains potent even without key names.

Domestically, Barça have averaged three goals per game, dispatching Getafe, Real Oviedo and Real Sociedad to stay one point clear of Madrid.

They also have a record of goalscoring dominance at home in Europe, hitting at least three in six of their last seven Champions League games in Spain, part of a 75-goal haul from their last 17 fixtures.

Yamal, runner-up for the Ballon d’Or at just 18, returned last weekend to set up Robert Lewandowski’s winner against Sociedad.

His creativity could prove decisive against PSG’s patched-up defense.

Injuries test Barcelona

Flick’s optimism is tempered by injuries. Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and midfield anchor Gavi are both out long term, while winger Raphinha, Fermin Lopez and Joan Garcia remain sidelined.

Wojciech Szczesny continues to deputize in goal, while Alejandro Balde’s possible return at fullback offers some relief. Rashford is expected to line up alongside Lewandowski, giving Barcelona pace in transition to complement their possession game.

PSG’s defense of their crown

PSG opened their title defense with a 4-0 dismantling of Atalanta, goals coming from four different players – Marquinhos, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes and Gonçalo Ramos – highlighting the depth Luis Enrique has at his disposal.

The emphatic start carried echoes of their 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in last season’s final.

But the Ligue 1 champions have looked vulnerable since.

They suffered a 1-0 defeat against Marseille in Le Classique and are managing a lengthy injury list.

Captain Marquinhos is sidelined with a thigh problem, Ousmane Dembele remains out until late October and the returning Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz’s inclusion is doubtful.

Vitinha faces a race to be fit, while Kvaratskhelia is battling a hamstring issue picked up against Auxerre.

Enrique knows the challenge of returning to Barcelona well, but injuries could leave his side thin in midfield and vulnerable to Barça’s pace in wide areas.

History and high stakes

Barcelona and PSG are forever linked by the 2017 Remontada, when Barça overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit with a stunning 6-1 win.

Yet recent history belongs to the French champions: PSG have beaten Barcelona 4-1 at Camp Nou twice in the past four years, in 2021 and 2024.

Another win in Spain would make them the first team to beat Barcelona three consecutive times away from home in European competition.

The night will hinge on duels across the pitch.

Robert Lewandowski has rediscovered his sharpness, feeding off the supply lines of Yamal and Rashford and with Marquinhos absent PSG will be forced to improvise at the back to contain him.

Rashford’s pace down the left is set to stretch Achraf Hakimi, a test of the Moroccan’s defensive discipline that could shape Barcelona’s counterattacking threat.

Midfield control will be another decisive factor.

If Vitinha recovers in time, PSG’s ability to retain possession improves dramatically; without him, Frenkie de Jong and Pedri could dictate tempo almost at will.

And then there is Yamal.

At just 18, the teenager already carries the aura of a game-changer and his creativity against a makeshift Parisian defense may yet prove the night’s defining difference.