Barcelona and PSG Suffer Major Injury Blows Ahead of Epic UCL Clash
Barcelona and PSG head into Tuesday’s Champions League clash with injuries to key players in both teams.
Barcelona will be without defenders Jules Koundé and Eric Garcia. Kounde is reported as suffering a left ankle sprain and could also miss next Sunday’s El Clásico against rivals Real Madrid.
Versatile defender Eric García is also ruled out of the game after limping off in the second half in Barcelona’s game against Real Betis on Saturday.
Tests confirmed that Eric sustained a muscle injury to the rectus femoris in his right thigh. He will most certainly miss El Classico, with his recovery time set for between 3 and 4 weeks.
PSG, on the other hand, has confirmed that their reliable left full back Nuno Mendes will be out of the game.
Mendes sustained a muscular injury to his left thigh during PSG’s 3-1 victory over RC Strasbourg. After entering the pitch as a second-half substitute in the 53rd minute, the defender began experiencing discomfort and had to be taken off in the 87th minute.
Manager Luis Enrique originally hoped the extraction was purely a precaution, finishing the game with ten men to protect his defender. However, definitive medical evaluations conducted on Sunday morning brought grim news. Paris Saint-Germain issued an official medical update confirming that Mendes will be sidelined for the next few weeks.
PSG vs. Barcelona Rivalry
PSG and Barcelona have been one of the most anticipated European club games in recent times, fueled by the memorable March 8, 2017, remontada, when Barcelona upturned a 4-0 deficit to defeat Paris Saint-Germain 6-1 at the Camp Nou and win 6-5 on aggregate.
The two sides met again in the 2023/24 UCL quarterfinal knockout stages, with Barcelona winning the first leg 3-2 in Paris, but PSG retaliated ruthlessly in the reverse fixture in Spain, storming to a 4-1 victory to eliminate the Catalan side on aggregate.
In their most recent encounter at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, PSG secured a thrilling 2-1 away victory. Ferran Torres, who now plays for the French side, opened the scoring for Barcelona, but goals from Senny Mayulu and a 90th-minute winner from Gonçalo Ramos sealed the points for Paris.
All-time, the margins remain razor-thin. Across their storied European encounters, PSG holds a slight edge with 6 wins to Barcelona’s 5 wins, alongside 4 draws. With both teams missing integral defensive anchors, Tuesday’s tactical battle at the Parc des Princes could present a cautious yet exciting prospects for both the fans and neutrals.
