Paris St-Germain v Barcelona - a fixture that could prove to be the most exciting in this season's Champions League. The free-scoring teams start match week three as the league phase's top two, with PSG ahead of Barcelona on goals scored and with no other sides having netted more this term. PSG were 2-1 winners when they met at this stage last season, with Luis Enrique's side going on to win a second successive Champions League title, having also beaten Barcelona over two legs in the quarter-finals three seasons ago.
"It will be a fascinating game on Tuesday," French football expert Julien Laurens told BBC Sport's Euro Leagues podcast. Since the start of the 2025 Club World Cup, Barca and PSG rank second and third respectively for most goals scored per match by clubs in Europe's top five leagues. Barca have netted 192 times in 68 games at a rate of 2.82 per match, with PSG scoring 154 in 67 games at 2.3 per outing.
Often dubbed the least competitive of the five major European leagues, PSG have dominated French football in recent times. They have won 12 of the past 14 Ligue 1 titles, including the past five. Three of those five were by nine or more points.
Barca are defending La Liga champions and have won three of the past four titles. Last season they finished eight points clear of arch rivals and runners-up Real Madrid. PSG became only the second team in the Champions League era to win it in back-to-back seasons, after Real Madrid.
In the past two seasons only Bayern from Europe's big five leagues can match Barca and PSG for back-to-back titles. A further look into recent statistics shows the high praise directed at PSG and Barca is warranted. In expected goals (xG) per league match in Europe's top five leagues since last season, Barca (2.56) and PSG (2.22) rank second and third respectively.
Only Bayern (3.06) are above both. Barcelona are also second for goals scored and goals scored per match in that time, with PSG sixth and fifth in those metrics respectively. However, PSG have played fewer league games than Barca, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester City, who are all high performers in those tables.
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