Paris St-Germain and Barcelona, the current top two in this season's Champions League, meet on Tuesday. 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, while PSG have scored 154 in 67 games at 2.3 per outing. Only Bayern Munich rank above both.
Often dubbed the least competitive of the five major European leagues, PSG have dominated French football, winning 12 of the past 14 Ligue 1 titles, including the past five. Barca are defending La Liga champions and have won three of the past four titles. PSG also became only the second team in the Champions League era to win it in back-to-back seasons, after Real Madrid.
In expected goals per league match since last season, Barca (2.56) and PSG (2.22) rank second and third, behind only Bayern (3.06). PSG's squad depth has allowed them to make wholesale changes and still get results, beating Strasbourg 3-1 on Saturday despite making eight changes to the side that won 4-2 in the Champions League three days earlier. Barca have also added depth this season, with signings such as Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi bringing pace and directness to their attack.
The individuals at both clubs are also among the world's best. Of the top 14 players on the 2025 Ballon d'Or list, eight were current PSG or Barcelona players. Dembele and Vitinha finished first and third, with Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal second. Of the 30 players listed for the 2026 award, 13 play for the two clubs, and Yamal, who has eight La Liga goals this season, is among the favourites.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing