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The second matchday of the UEFA Champions League will feature plenty of drama and spectacle, from Chelsea and Benfica facing off in a rematch of this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 match, to reigning Süper Lig champions Galatasaray hosting reigning Premier League champions Liverpool in Istanbul, to reigning Scudetto winners Napoli hosting reigning Liga Portugal champions Sporting. However, there is zero doubt that the marquee event of Matchday Two will take place in Barcelona on Wednesday, as the defending champions of Europe and France take on the reigning kings of Spain.
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Paris Saint-Germain will be weakened by various absences, including those of newly crowned Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, his France teammate Désiré Doué, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Nevertheless, there is plenty of room for optimism for PSG supporters, be that Portuguese trio Nuno Mendes, João Neves, and Vitinha, who have gone from plying their trade against Paços de Ferreira and Moreirense to dominating Champions League nights, or Achraf Hakimi, who has staked his claim as one of, if not the best, full-back in world football.
PSG and Barcelona looked set to face off in last season’s UEFA Champions League Final in a battle between arguably the two finest teams on the continent; instead, Barcelona would end up losing 7-6 on aggregate to Inter in the semifinal, who proceeded to lose 5-0 to PSG in Munich. This looks set to be an enthralling match-up between two of the best teams in world football, but just what exactly will determine this upcoming showdown in Spain?
Can PSG Win the Midfield Battle?
Out of the 11 players that started in Saturday’s 2-0 win vs. Auxerre, only goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier and midfield metronome Vitinha look set to retain their places in the upcoming XI vs. Barcelona. Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho, Marquinhos, and Achraf Hakimi are set to replace Lucas Hernandez, Lucas Beraldo, Ilya Zabarnyi, and Warren Zaire-Emery in defense, whilst Fabián Ruiz and João Neves—neither of whom were in the squad for Auxerre—are set to replace Kang-in Lee and Senny Mayulu in the middle.
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