Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona will face off in the Champions League on Wednesday in a high-profile clash between two leading contenders for this year’s title.
Defending champion PSG is seeking to become only the second club in the modern era to retain the trophy. Since the European Cup was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992, only Real Madrid has managed back-to-back triumphs, winning three in a row from 2016 to 2018.
PSG’s triumph last season sparked talk of a possible new era of dominance for the French side, but Barcelona is seen as one of the strongest threats to that ambition.
“For us, it’s exciting to play against a team with the same mentality,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “It’s a special match for both teams.”
Elsewhere, two other title contenders are also in action this week. Arsenal will host Olympiacos, while 2023 champion Manchester City travels to Monaco.
Tuesday’s results:
There was no shortage of goals in Tuesday’s matches, with Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich all scoring five. Kylian Mbappe netted a hat trick in Madrid’s 5-0 victory over Kairat, while Atletico defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1.
Harry Kane scored twice in Bayern’s 5-1 win against Pafos, and Marseille eased past Ajax 4-0.
The upset of the night came in Istanbul, where Liverpool fell 1-0 to Galatasaray.