PSG vs Barcelona: UEFA Champions League – Yamal, Torres, predictions, teams

Who: Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona
What: UEFA Champions League, lucifer time 3
Where: Parc des Princes, Paris, France
When: Tuesday, October 20, astatine 9pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport volition bring you each the build-up and unrecorded updates from 16:00 GMT.

One of the astir eagerly awaited Champions League matches of the play volition beryllium played against the backdrop of turmoil connected the streets of the French superior arsenic holders Paris Saint-Germain big Barcelona connected Tuesday.

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The destiny of the lucifer has been taxable to statement arsenic the French authorities seeks to power the convulsive protests gripping the country.

However, erstwhile the lucifer gets nether mode astatine the Parc des Princes, fans tin expect a mouthwatering conflict betwixt the Champions League’s apical 2 teams arsenic the back-to-back holders invited five-time winners.

Boasting a cleanable grounds crossed each competitions, Spanish giants Barca are arguably 1 of Europe’s champion teams this season.

PSG excessively person been thing abbreviated of lethal – the Parisians pb the UCL points array and person scored a whopping 10 goals successful 2 games.

There volition beryllium plentifulness of prima powerfulness connected show erstwhile the lucifer kicks disconnected arsenic the dazzling duo of Ferran Torres and Ousmane Dembele volition header the star-studded location side.

Lamine Yamal, who is enjoying 1 of the champion starts to a La Liga play for a forward, volition beryllium joined by Raphinha for Barcelona.

Here’s everything you request to cognize up of PSG vs Barcelona:

How person PSG played this season?

After 7 matches, PSG are 2nd successful Ligue 1 with 14 points, down Lyon connected extremity difference. They person won 4 times, drawn doubly and mislaid erstwhile successful the French apical division.

How person Barcelona played this season?

Barcelona are 5 points wide astatine the apical of La Liga array with 9 wins from nine. Their blistering onslaught has scored 39 league goals.

What happened successful the archetypal and 2nd Champions League rounds?

Two-time holders PSG thrashed Slovan Bratislava 6-1 successful their UCL opener astatine location earlier beating Manchester City 4-2 successful a thrilling distant fixture.

Barcelona thumped Feyenoord 5-1 astatine location and bounced backmost from a extremity down to smash Galatasaray 4-1 away.

Those results support PSG apical of the array and Barcelona second, with some connected six points.

Barcelona’s Spanish #10 Lamine Yamal has made an awesome commencement to the play [File: Jorge Guerrero/AFP]

Will PSG vs Barcelona spell up amid the protests successful France?

Despite the convulsive protests and nationwide arrests, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the lucifer will not beryllium postponed oregon cancelled.

Lecornu said connected Monday that helium had asked determination authorities to enforce “partial” and “localised” curfews successful immoderate cities to support businesses aft play demonstrations spilled implicit into immoderate of the worst thoroughfare unit successful caller years.

“These curfews indispensable beryllium section and partial. It is retired of the question to enactment each of Paris ⁠⁠⁠⁠under curfew.”

At the aforesaid quality conference, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told reporters determination were nary plans to cancel the ⁠⁠⁠⁠match.

Police person arrested astatine slightest 2,400 radical crossed France aft convulsive groups clashed with officers and looted shops during nationwide demonstrations that attracted hundreds of thousands of radical to denounce rising surviving costs and mediocre conditions successful schools.

PSG vs Barcelona: Predictions

Opta’s supercomputer has fixed PSG a 39.7 per cent probability of winning, portion Barcelona person a 37.7 per cent chance.

There are 22.6 per cent likelihood for a draw.

PSG vs Barcelona: Head-to-head

(Only successful the Champions League)

• Matches: 15
• PSG wins: 6
• Barcelona wins: 5
• Draws: 4

PSG vs Barcelona: Form guide

(Last 5 matches crossed each competitions; latest crippled first)

PSG: W-W-W-W-W

Barcelona: W-W-W-W-W

Who are the apical players to watch?

Ferran Torres and Ousmane Dembele (PSG): Torres, who joined PSG aft 4 seasons astatine Barcelona, is their starring scorer with 7 goals successful each competitions, including an opening time Champions League hat-trick. Dembele has had an all-round interaction with six assists and 4 goals.

Raphinha and Lamine Yamal (Barcelona): With 14 goals, Raphinha is the astir prolific striker successful European nine shot this season. Such is his dominance that adjacent a little wounded lack did not instrumentality distant his apical spot. Yamal, connected the different hand, has been unstoppable successful his ain mode – the 18-year-old winger’s 9 goals and 10 assists marque him a once-in-a-generation talent.

Lamine Yamal and Raphinha stock 23 goals betwixt them this play [File: Jorge Guerrero/AFP]

Team quality and predicted lineups

PSG

PSG suffered a large stroke soon earlier Tuesday’s travel erstwhile left-back Nuno Mendes suffered a thigh wounded during their 3-1 Ligue 1 triumph astatine Strasbourg connected Saturday.

Mendes volition beryllium unavailable for the “next fewer weeks”, according to the squad who are besides without Senny Mayulu with a akin issue.

Predicted starting XI: 

Matvey Safonov; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Lucas Digne; Warren Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Maghnes Akliouche, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue

Ferran Torres, who besides helped Spain triumph the FIFA World Cup 2026, celebrates scoring a hat-trick against Slovan Bratislava [File: Franco Arland/Getty Images]

Barcelona

Barcelona person been strengthened by the instrumentality of striker Raphinha and midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

Raphinha picked up a sound connected caller planetary work with Brazil and missed Barca’s wins implicit Getafe successful the league and Galatasaray successful the Champions League. Dutch planetary De Jong has not featured this play owed to a genu contented sustained during the World Cup.

Both were connected the seat successful Barca’s past game, a 5-2 triumph implicit Real Betis, with Raphinha coming connected arsenic a second-half substitute.

However, defenders Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde are sidelined. Garcia volition walk betwixt “three to 4 weeks” retired with a thigh injury, portion right-back Kounde suffered an ankle sprain and volition miss the crippled against PSG.

Predicted starting XI: 

Joan Garcia; Xavi Espart, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Joao Cancelo; Fermin Lopez, Rodri, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Anthony Gordon