PSG and Barcelona will square off on October 1 in the UEFA Champions League league phase, with both sides riding strong starts into the matchup.
The reigning Champions League winners opened their campaign in style, cruising past Atalanta 4-0 with two goals in each half, even without Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé.
Barcelona responded with a gritty 2-1 win at Newcastle United, fueled by a Marcus Rashford brace. With both clubs among the favorites, the clash could prove crucial in shaping the league-phase standings.
(Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
In the 2-1 win over Real Sociedad, Lamine Yamal came off the bench to play 32 minutes and recorded an assist. After the match, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick spoke with the media and shared his thoughts on seeing his young player return to the pitch before facing PSG.
“It’s wonderful to have him back,” Flick said (h/t Marca). “Everyone has been able to see just how good Lamine is. The whole team has done an excellent job. Since the last match, we’ve had 68 hours of rest, and it’s incredible that all the players are giving their best performance.”
For PSG, Le Parisien reports that Vitinha is expected to be available for the Barcelona match, with nothing particularly alarming about his condition. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has also shown he can bounce back remarkably quickly, so another race against time is underway.
Fabián Ruiz, who was rested, and João Neves both have a good chance of being ready for the game. Paris had hoped Neves could get some minutes this weekend to ease back in.
On the other hand, Désiré Doué is unlikely to rejoin the squad in time for Barcelona. He’s making progress in his recovery, but will probably fall just short for this trip.
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