Champions League Matchday 3: Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona facts

Two sides that have started the new UEFA Champions League season with two wins meet on Matchday 2 as Paris Saint-Germain face Barcelona at Parc des Princes.

Previous meetings

The teams have met 16 times in UEFA competition with six wins each, four draws and 29 goals apiece.

Paris have lost only one of their last five meetings with Barcelona (W3 D1), triumphing 2-1 in Spain on Matchday 2 last season. Ferran Torres, now of Paris, put the home side ahead only for Senny Mayulu and Gonçalo Ramos to score late in each half and give Paris the points.

That was also Paris' third successive away win against Barcelona, with ten goals scored and three conceded.

However, Barça have been victorious in two of their last four games at Parc des Princes (D1 L1) including the last, a 3-2 win in the 2023/24 quarter-final first leg in which Raphinha scored twice – although Paris won the return in Spain 4-1 despite another Raphinha strike, Ousmane Dembélé and Vitinha scoring the French side's first two goals.

Paris have lost only three of their last 14 games against Spanish clubs (W8 D3), most recently drawing 0-0 at Athletic Club on Matchday 6 last season.

Barcelona have lost three of their last four games versus French opponents (W1). They have won only four of their last 11 games involving Ligue 1 sides (D2 L5).

Form guide

Paris

This is Paris's 19th campaign in the Champions League proper. They have featured every season since 2012/13, reaching the knockout stages in all 14 of those most recent campaigns.

Eleventh in last season's league phase (W4 D2 L2), Luis Enrique's side beat Monaco (5-4 aggregate), Chelsea (8-2), Liverpool (4-0) and Bayern München (6-5) to reach a second successive final, where they overcame Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Budapest.

The Parisiens were only the second team to retain the Champions League, after Real Madrid (2016, 2017, 2018), and the 14th club to win multiple European Cups.

Paris kicked off this season by beating Aston Villa 2-1 to win the UEFA Super Cup for the second time having also lifted it in 2025.

Barcelona

This is Barcelona's 31st campaign in the Champions League proper, a competition record they share with Real Madrid. They have featured every season since 2003/04.

Fifth in last season's league phase (W5 D1 L2), Hansi Flick's side went on to beat Newcastle United (8-3 aggregate) in the round of 16 before a 2-3 loss in an all-Spanish quarter-final against Atlético de Madrid.

 Links and trivia

Ferran Torres left Barcelona for Paris in August; the Spanish striker scored 65 goals in 207 appearances for the Catalan club.

Dro Fernández also swapped Barcelona for Paris in January after playing five times for the Spanish side.

Dembélé spent six seasons at Barcelona between 2017 and 2023, scoring 40 times in 185 games and winning three La Liga titles before moving to Paris.

Enrique was Barcelona coach from 2014 to 2017, guiding them to the treble of league, cup and Champions League in 2014/15. He has won two of his three matches against his former club with Paris.

Hansi Flick was in charge of the Bayern München side that beat Paris 1-0 in the 2020 Champions League final.

Having won 4-2 at Manchester City on Matchday 2, Paris are unbeaten in 12 Champions League games (W8 D4) since a 2-1 defeat at Sporting CP in January, one short of the club record set in 2012/13 to 2013/14.

In UEFA competition overall, Paris have lost one of their last 16 matches (W10 D5).

Enrique's team have been beaten in only one of their last 11 home Champions League matches (W8 D2), winning the last four.

Paris have scored in their last 34 home group stage/league phase home matches.

The 0-0 draw at Athletic Club in December 2025 is Paris' only stalemate in their last 120 European games.

Dembélé has scored in his last six Champions League appearances, equalling Kylian Mbappé's record for a French player set in 2021/22. Dembélé struck eight goals in 30 Champions League appearances for Barcelona, scoring against them for Paris in both legs of the 2023/24 quarter-final.

Barcelona have won their last five league phase matches, scoring 19 goals, including the 4-1 victory at Galatasaray last time out.

Flick's side have lost only one of their last nine Champions League matches (W7 D1) and are unbeaten in four away (W3 D1).

Barcelona have not kept a clean sheet in 17 Champions League games, their longest run in the competition.

Barcelona have conceded the first goal in eight of their last 11 Champions League matches.

None of the Spanish side's last 45 Champions League matches finished goalless; their last 30 games have produced 140 goals, an average of 4.67 per game.

Lamine Yamal has a goal and four assists in this season's Champions League.

Karim Adeyemi has scored in his last three Champions League appearances.

On this day in 2020, Pedri scored on his Champions League debut as a substitute in Barcelona's 5-1 home win against Ferencváros – still his only goal in the competition.

Yamal has scored 12 goals in the Champions League proper as a teenager, one short of Mbappé's record of 13.