One of the most highly-anticipated league phase matches of the 2025/26 Champions League will take the field on Wednesday as defending champions Paris Saint-Germain visit last year's semifinalists Barcelona.
Unfortunately, the pre-match narrative of the otherwise titanic matchup has focused on the litany of injuries both teams have been forced to endure, specifically PSG.
The Parisians are likely without Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, but their absences only start there. It's entirely possible that they are without their entire midfield trio — all three of whom were nominated for the Ballon d'Or — as well as young star Desire Doue and captain Marquinhos.
Barcelona will be missing Raphinha as well as new goalkeeper signing Joan Garcia, as they too must navigate some difficult absences.
MORE: Predicted lineups, team news, and latest injury updates ahead of Barcelona vs. PSG
Barcelona vs. PSG prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Barcelona (-115 on DraftKings)
- Score prediction: Barcelona 3-1 PSG
While PSG are likely the better team at full strength, the Parisians are so far from full strength that it's surely too much to ask them for a victory on the road at Barcelona. Even as the match will be played at the Montjuic, with the Camp Nou renovations experiencing ongoing delays, there's just too many key players out for any top team to overcome in a match such as this.
Even if Fabian Ruiz passes fit, can they play at remotely the same level with Warren Zaire-Emery and Senny Mayulu in midfield, plus Goncalo Ramos and either Kang-In Lee or 17-year-old Ibrahim Mbaye in the attack? And say nothing of new goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, who has conceded four Ligue 1 goals to just eight saves so far through six domestic matches and has yet to prove he can live up to Gianluigi Donnarumma's standards.
If Barcelona can't win this comfortably, it would be an indication that maybe Hansi Flick's side isn't up to the level we thought they were this season.
| DraftKings (USA) | |
| Barcelona win | -115 |
| Draw | +320 |
| PSG win | +260 |
| Both teams to score | Y: -265 N: +200 |
| Over / Under 3.5 goals | O: -105 U: -125 |
| Barcelona -0.5 goals | -120 |
| PSG +0.5 goals | -115 |
Barcelona vs. PSG match facts
- Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2025
- Kickoff Time: 9 p.m. local (3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT)
- Location: Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium (Barcelona, Spain)
- Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG)
- Last meeting: Barcelona 1-4 PSG (Apr. 16, 2024 | Champions League)
MORE: A complete guide to betting on soccer in the United States
Barcelona vs. PSG best bet
- Pick: Marcus Rashford 3+ total shots
- Odds: +105 (DraftKings)
With Marcus Rashford likely to play on the left in Raphinha's absence, Barcelona will likely look a bit different than they normally do at full strength. While Raphinha has largely worked off the ball as Lamine Yamal carries the heavy load, Rashford enjoys being more involved in both buildup and end product.
Given that Lamine is coming back from injury and will be matched up against Nuno Mendes, it's plausible that Rashford will have to carry more of the load than Barcelona may like. On Rashford's side, Achraf Hakimi may not be able to get as high up the pitch as he's normally able given that neither Joao Neves nor Marquinhos are available to cover, and their replacements won't be as capable of filling the space.
With the centre-backs likely occupied by Robert Lewandowski, Rashford may be the player PSG decide to lay off the most, and he is capable of taking advantage. He took a whopping six shots against Real Sociedad on the weekend, even as he won just two of his nine ground duels. Rashford has a propensity to shoot from inadvisable positions, especially if Barcelona get frustrated, but we won't care — they don't have to be good shots to count on the stat sheet.
The last time these two teams met at full strength in the first leg of their 2023/24 Champions League quarterfinal (we aren't bothering to use the second for predictive purposes, as Ronald Araujo was sent off a half-hour in), Raphinha managed to score twice. With Rashford in the same position, he should manage to be just as involved.
Barcelona vs. PSG prop bet
- Pick: Lamine Yamal anytime assist
- Odds: +220 on FanDuel
Lamine Yamal has been sidelined for some time due to a groin issue, but he returned for 32 minutes off the bench against Real Sociedad on the weekend and looked exceptional. While the 18-year-old will have to deal with the defensively stout Nuno Mendes, he's shown there isn't a player in the world who can stop him at his best.
It would be great to capitalise on his world-class goal scoring talents as well, but since Lamine to score or assist is set at -120, this is the preferred selection. Given that Mendes managed to keep a lid on the end product of a young, developing Lamine back in April of 2024, limiting him to just two poor shots, expect him to be more involved in the buildup than the final ball.
It's likely that Lamine will start the match against PSG, but keep an eye on lineups before confirming any player selections just incase.