Barcelona

Barca were without Andreas Christensen, Eric García and Xavi Espart, leaving them fragile in defence, with 20-year-old midfielder Brian Farinas making his Champions League debut and just second start at right-back.

The hosts had not kept a Champions League clean sheet in 18 games, a run stretching back to April 2025, and there was real fear from seasoned Barca watchers that Villa would exploit their weakness.

In the first half Matty Cash, Gomes and Johan Manzambi, twice, made Barca sweat as the visitors created chances without taking them.

German Leon Goretzka hit the post in the second half but by then the game was done after Raphinha’s strikes.

Lamine Yamal, Anthony Gordon and Joao Cancelo went close to adding to Barca’s tally, but Emery remained philosophical.

“The test was definitely not in the level we want to achieve but there are a lot of things to learn, a lot of experience for the players and us,” he said. “It is giving me a lot of information to analyse and compete at this level.

“Overall, we are competing fantastically in the Champions League, although playing the match we played we have work to do to get to this level [of Barcelona].

“We were sometimes achieving it and close to scoring goals but we must be ruthless in the attacking third, 3-0 is maybe more than we deserved, but we accept the defeat.”

It was still a reminder of how far Villa have come under Emery, who took over when they were three points above the Premier League relegation zone.

A Champions League night against Barcelona in the Nou Camp was fanciful when the Spaniard walked in the door from Villarreal.

Since then, he has delivered the Europa League title and two Champions League campaigns and this defeat in Spain will be another key marker in Villa’s journey with him as they now prepare to visit Manchester United next on Sunday.

“Barcelona made the right decisions at the right times and scored really good goals,” captain John McGinn told TNT Sports.

“The manager spoke about being clinical at important moments in the game. When you come here, 50-50s sometimes don’t go your way. They also leave players up the pitch so if you lose the ball they can be away.

“I think we are competitive against teams at this level, we have shown that whether it is Bayern Munich or PSG. It was a huge learning curve for us and I am sure it will stand us in good stead for the future.”

Real won their fifth straight game across all competitions and are finding their footing under veteran Jose Mourinho.

A Kylian Mbappe double, three vital points and bragging rights.

Sunday night could not get any better for Real Madrid fans.

When the action kicked off under the lights at Camp Nou for the Clasico, Jose Mourinho’s side were far from the favourites. But after 90 minutes of drama and fiery football, Real had the last laugh, beating rivals Barcelona 2-1 in a tantalising match.

The victory has renewed belief among the Bernabeu faithful, who are counting on Mourinho to lead them back to glory days.

Here are the key takeaways from Real’s El Clasico win against Barcelona:

Real earn bragging rights and snap Barca’s perfect record

Mbappe’s brace – which took his tally to 14 goals this season – was enough to silence the tens of thousands of Barcelona supporters at Camp Nou.

With that, Los Blancos became the first side to beat Barcelona in the league this season, ending the Catalan club’s nine-game winning streak in the top flight. Had Barcelona won, they would have broken Real’s 1968-69 record for a best-ever start in the Spanish top flight.

It also marked a second straight defeat for Hansi Flick’s side, coming only days after they fell to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

As for Real, victory brought home bragging rights. Real now lead the head-to-head record with 107 wins to Barca’s 106 in their all-time Clasico record.

Mbappe hits a century of Real goals

A day before the world tunes in to watch the Ballon d’Or ceremony for the best player of the 2025-26 season, Mbappe achieved another milestone.

The French forward’s brace brought up his 100th goal for Real across all competitions since joining in 2024 from PSG.

The 27-year-old, the second-best La Liga scorer this season, is building on a remarkable performance last campaign, which saw him finish as La Liga and the Champions League’s top scorer, the World Cup Golden Boot winner and the all-time leading World Cup scorer.

Those statistics have made him one of the frontrunners for the Ballon d’Or ahead of Monday’s gala in London.

Real are slowly closing the gap on Barcelona

Defeats to Real Betis and Atletico Madrid last month shook Real’s top-flight campaign, but recent results reflect stability.

Real have now won five matches in a row – three in La Liga and two in the UCL – and seem to be coming into strong form.

Even though Sunday’s victory was just a second in eight games against Barcelona, Real are slowly reducing the gap on Barca this season, with just over a quarter of the season played.

After 10 matches, they are third in the league standings on 24 points, three points behind Barcelona, while Atletico are sandwiched in between, sitting second with 25 points.

Can Mourinho bring Real back to glory days?

The improvement in form suggests Mourinho’s Real can challenge Barcelona’s recent La Liga dominance in his first season back in Spain.

After two seasons without trophies, Real turned to old boss Mourinho to find a way to stop Barca’s dominance.

Although Mourinho has not won a league title since guiding Chelsea to the Premier League crown in 2014-15, his record as one of football’s most decorated managers remains formidable.

Thirteen years after his first spell at Real ended, Mourinho’s return to the Clasico offered a chance to make an immediate statement, and victory over Barcelona made it all the sweeter.

The result should also help to boost morale and build unity within the Real squad. ‌‌‌‌More importantly, Mourinho now has evidence that his methods can help return Real to the summit of Spanish football.

“If we win today but lose at El Sardinero, it counts for nothing, because Madrid isn’t ‌‌‌‌playing ‌‌‌‌to win at the Camp Nou,” Mourinho said. “They’re playing to win the championship.”

Mourinho has made his intentions clear.

After celebrating Sunday’s Clasico win with his trademark knee slide, the 63-year-old manager knows his job is far from over.

Having led Real to three trophies during his first spell, including a record-breaking La Liga ⁠⁠⁠⁠triumph, Mourinho knows best what Real are capable of achieving.

Jose Mourinho has done it again.

The Real Madrid manager celebrated Kylian Mbappe’s late winner at Barcelona on Sunday with a trademark knee slide, as he maintained his midas touch over their bitter rivals.

Mourinho has become just the third Real boss to go six El Clasicos in a row without defeat – 13 years after he last led Los Blancos in this fixture.

Four wins and two draws in his past six matches in charge of Real Madrid against Barcelona put him up there with Miguel Munoz (1962 to 1965) and Vicente del Bosque (2001 to 2003) as Real managers who have gone six in a row without defeat against the old enemy.

It was also just a second victory in eight games against Barcelona for Real, with the return of Mourinho to the fixture haunting the reigning champions

And more importantly for Mourinho, Mbappe’s double in Real’s 2-1 win ended Barcelona’s nine-game unbeaten domestic run with a crucial Clasico victory at the Camp Nou.

A Real defeat would have allowed Barcelona to establish a commanding nine-point advantage but the result has transformed the top of La Liga, bringing Mourinho’s side to within three points of their rivals.

“In my view, Real Madrid do not play to win at the Camp Nou, Real Madrid play to win La Liga,” he said.

“We could win with luck, but we won with calmness and with all merit,” he said. “It’s a very strong group. Everyone works very hard. Everyone was ready to win.

“The credit goes to the players. When you win, the credit goes to the players. But when you lose, the blame falls on you. And that’s why we see coaches being sacked from their positions every week.”

The Portuguese, who returned to Real 13 years after his first stint in charge this summer, has now won six and lost six El Clasicos.

He said: “I’ve learned that I have an extraordinary group, with the quality and mindset to play.

“In midfield, having a mix of talents gives us more than just having two players with similar characteristics. This mix of talents gives us balance when defending and quality when we go on the attack.

“We’ve beaten several teams by four or more goals, but this is Barca, and the players put on a great performance. We need to continue like this and don’t go over the moon after this win.”

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick said he didn’t want to give excuses for the defeat but admitted his team lacked fresh legs after a demanding few weeks.

“We missed the freshness,” he said. “It’s not easy for our players. We have to recover well, train well and we have to respond from this defeat.

“In big games, small things are important and they decide the games and today, it wasn’t on our side.

“I can see that today we were not fresh and this is what we have to change.”

French superstar Kylian Mbappe scores brace for Madrid to inflict Barcelona’s first domestic defeat of the campaign.

Kylian Mbappe struck twice to earn Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid a 2-1 El Clasico victory over La Liga leaders Barcelona at Camp Nou, cutting the gap to three points.

French superstar Mbappe opened the scoring before half-time on Sunday and then slotted home late on to inflict Barca’s first domestic defeat of the campaign after Raphinha had equalised for the champions.

Real Madrid remain third, behind Atletico Madrid and Hansi Flick’s Barca, who had won their first nine games before a chastening week.

The Catalans suffered a second straight defeat after losing on Tuesday against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Barca had won six of the seven previous Clasicos since the German arrived but were surprisingly subdued against Mourinho’s side.

“In general we didn’t have a great game, in the first half we weren’t ourselves, there were a lot of things we could have done better,” Barcelona midfielder Pedri told DAZN.

“We wanted to win the Clasico in front of our fans, but the season is very long … a league is not won here.”

Los Blancos, without suspended winger Vinicius Junior, won their fifth straight game across all competitions and are finding their footing under veteran Portuguese coach Mourinho.

After two trophyless seasons Madrid turned back to Mourinho to try and stop Barca’s dominance, and this result will give them hope they are on the right track.

The opening period of the game was cagey, with few opportunities.

Barca defender Pau Cubarsi twice reacted well to shut down Mbappe, while Real Madrid’s Marc Cucurella took a rapid liking for Lamine Yamal’s shirt, constantly grabbing at the 19-year-old winger.

Anthony Gordon, playing in his first Clasico since joining Barcelona from Newcastle, backheeled the ball to Raphinha, who fired narrowly wide as Barca threatened.

The hosts were dealt a setback when young defender Xavi Espart pulled up hurt and needed to be replaced by Alejandro Balde before the half-hour mark.

Andriy Lunin, playing in goal for Madrid after Thibaut Courtois pulled out of the squad with flu, saved at his near post from Gordon before the visitors took the lead.

Mbappe scored his 10th league goal of the season and also his easiest, with Barca’s Gerard Martin clearing a cross straight at the Frenchman, who deflected it into the net.

Barca responded by carving out a glorious chance for an equaliser but teenage sensation Yamal for once miscued in front of goal, firing wide when poised to level.

The game opened up and Yan Diomande came close to doubling Madrid’s lead before half-time, drilling into the side-netting.

Martin redeemed himself early in the second half as he held off Jude Bellingham, who could neither beat the defender nor find a free Mbappe.

Raphinha, who had a quiet first half, pulled Barcelona level just after the hour mark.

Pedri fed the Brazilian, La Liga’s top goalscorer with 13, who fired through Bellingham’s legs and Lunin could not keep the shot out.

The Ukrainian goalkeeper did make a superb save to deny Martin at a corner, as Barcelona flowed forward with the wind finally in their sails.

Yamal bent an effort wide with Lunin at full stretch and Barca substitute Frenkie de Jong had a shot desperately blocked by Dean Huijsen.

There was a sting in the tail for the Catalans though as substitute Gabriel Jesus lost possession and Madrid raced through on goal.

Eduardo Camavinga beat Cubarsi and unselfishly cut the ball back for Mbappe to tuck home his second of the night into an empty net with Joan Garcia drawn out of position.

Who: Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona
What: UEFA Champions League, match day 3
Where: Parc des Princes, Paris, France
When: Tuesday, October 20, at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up and live updates from 16:00 GMT.

One of the most eagerly awaited Champions League matches of the season will be played against the backdrop of turmoil on the streets of the French capital as holders Paris Saint-Germain host Barcelona on Tuesday.

The fate of the match has been subject to debate as the French government seeks to control the violent protests gripping the country.

However, once the match gets under way at the Parc des Princes, fans can expect a mouthwatering battle between the Champions League’s top two teams as the back-to-back holders welcome five-time winners.

Boasting a perfect record across all competitions, Spanish giants Barca are arguably one of Europe’s best teams this season.

PSG too have been nothing short of lethal – the Parisians lead the UCL points table and have scored a whopping 10 goals in two games.

There will be plenty of star power on display when the match kicks off as the dazzling duo of Ferran Torres and Ousmane Dembele will headline the star-studded home side.

Lamine Yamal, who is enjoying one of the best starts to a La Liga season for a forward, will be joined by Raphinha for Barcelona.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of PSG vs Barcelona:

How have PSG played this season?

After seven matches, PSG are second in Ligue 1 with 14 points, behind Lyon on goal difference. They have won four times, drawn twice and lost once in the French top division.

How have Barcelona played this season?

Barcelona are five points clear at the top of La Liga table with nine wins from nine. Their blistering attack has scored 39 league goals.

What happened in the first and second Champions League rounds?

Two-time holders PSG thrashed Slovan Bratislava 6-1 in their UCL opener at home before beating Manchester City 4-2 in a thrilling away fixture.

Barcelona thumped Feyenoord 5-1 at home and bounced back from a goal down to smash Galatasaray 4-1 away.

Those results keep PSG top of the table and Barcelona second, with both on six points.

Will PSG vs Barcelona go ahead amid the protests in France?

Despite the violent protests and nationwide arrests, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the match will not be postponed or cancelled.

Lecornu said on Monday that he had asked regional authorities to impose “partial” and “localised” curfews in some cities to protect businesses after weekend demonstrations spilled over into some of the worst street violence in recent years.

“These curfews must be local and partial. It is out of the question to put all of Paris ⁠⁠⁠⁠under curfew.”

At the same news conference, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told reporters there were no plans to cancel the ⁠⁠⁠⁠match.

Police have arrested at least 2,400 people across France after violent groups clashed with officers and looted shops during nationwide demonstrations that attracted hundreds of thousands of people to denounce rising living costs and poor conditions in schools.

PSG vs Barcelona: Predictions

Opta’s supercomputer has given PSG a 39.7 per cent probability of winning, while Barcelona have a 37.7 per cent chance.

There are 22.6 per cent odds for a draw.

PSG vs Barcelona: Head-to-head

(Only in the Champions League)

• Matches: 15
• PSG wins: 6
• Barcelona wins: 5
• Draws: 4

PSG vs Barcelona: Form guide

(Last five matches across all competitions; latest game first)

PSG: W-W-W-W-W

Barcelona: W-W-W-W-W

Who are the top players to watch?

Ferran Torres and Ousmane Dembele (PSG): Torres, who joined PSG after four seasons at Barcelona, is their leading scorer with seven goals in all competitions, including an opening day Champions League hat-trick. Dembele has had an all-round impact with six assists and four goals.

Raphinha and Lamine Yamal (Barcelona): With 14 goals, Raphinha is the most prolific striker in European club football this season. Such is his dominance that even a brief injury absence did not take away his top spot. Yamal, on the other hand, has been unstoppable in his own way – the 18-year-old winger’s nine goals and 10 assists make him a once-in-a-generation talent.

Team news and predicted lineups

PSG

PSG suffered a major blow shortly before Tuesday’s trip when left-back Nuno Mendes suffered a thigh injury during their 3-1 Ligue 1 victory at Strasbourg on Saturday.

Mendes will be unavailable for the “next few weeks”, according to the team who are also without Senny Mayulu with a similar issue.

Predicted starting XI: 

Matvey Safonov; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Lucas Digne; Warren Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Maghnes Akliouche, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue

Barcelona

Barcelona have been strengthened by the return of striker Raphinha and midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

Raphinha picked up a knock on recent international duty with Brazil and missed Barca’s wins over Getafe in the league and Galatasaray in the Champions League. Dutch international De Jong has not featured this season due to a knee issue sustained during the World Cup.

Both were on the bench in Barca’s last game, a 5-2 win over Real Betis, with Raphinha coming on as a second-half substitute.

However, defenders Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde are sidelined. Garcia will spend between “three to four weeks” out with a thigh injury, while right-back Kounde suffered an ankle sprain and will miss the game against PSG.

Predicted starting XI: 

Joan Garcia; Xavi Espart, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Joao Cancelo; Fermin Lopez, Rodri, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Anthony Gordon

Barcelona have arrived in Paris for the Champions League match at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT.

The upcoming UEFA Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Barcelona will not be postponed or cancelled despite the ongoing violent protests in France, the country’s Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has said.

Lecornu said on Monday he had asked regional authorities to impose “partial” and “localised” curfews in some cities to protect businesses after weekend demonstrations spilled over into some of the worst street violence in recent years.

He said a state of emergency could be imposed “if necessary”, adding that curfews were a better solution to the crisis over violent protests.

“I am absolutely determined to restore order,” Lecornu said at a news conference after a crisis meeting.

“A state of emergency is still a very serious measure, including in terms of its implementation. So if it is necessary, of course we could do it. As things stand, however, the issue of curfews, and the implementation of those curfews, seems better suited to the situation we may be facing.”

He did not say which cities ‌‌would impose partial curfews nor what form they would take, although he ruled out imposing a full curfew across Paris.

“These curfews must be local and partial. It is out of the question to put all of Paris ⁠⁠under curfew.”

At the same news conference, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told reporters there were no plans to cancel the ⁠⁠match.

PSG, the reigning European and French champions, will host the Spanish visitors at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday night.

The fate of the match, touted as the pick of the group-stage fixtures in European football’s premier club competition, has been under threat after days of protests across the French capital and beyond.

However, neither club has indicated that the violence will affect the fixture, as Barcelona were arrived across their northern border to Paris on Monday afternoon.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 19:00 GMT on Tuesday.

The weekend of riots and looting has not spared French clubs, such as Marseille and Lille. The Ligue 1 clubs said their shops were vandalised during the protests.

Marseille said in a statement on Monday the looters caused “significant damage” to its official store located on La Canebiere — the southern port city’s most famous avenue — which has been temporarily closed.

Up north, Lille’s city centre store “suffered extensive damage and widespread looting”, the club said, adding that the shop will remain closed until further notice.

Lille thanked “everyone who has offered their support over the past few hours — first and foremost, our store employees, but also the many passersby, whether supporters or not, who spontaneously stepped forward to offer their help, practical assistance and comfort”.

A string of mazy runs down Barcelona’s right flank, two goal assists within three minutes, and a player of the match award cap off yet another impressive night in European football; Lamine Yamal continues to rack up remarkable statistics and mesmerising performances eight weeks into the club football season.

While this isn’t Yamal’s breakthrough year by any means – the Spanish forward first burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old in the 2023-24 season – his consistency for both club and country in the past eight weeks has led to comparisons with some of the greatest prodigies of recent years.

Since returning from the FIFA World Cup as a champion, Yamal has enjoyed scintillating form with the Catalan side.

Across the eight match weeks in club football, the 19-year-old has scored eight goals and provided nine assists in his 10 matches in all competitions for Barcelona, bringing his total number of goal contributions to an impressive 17.

All-time Barcelona and Argentina great Lionel Messi had 14 goal contributions – eight goals and six assists – to his name in the 2008-09 season, when he won his first Ballon d’Or award as a 19-year-old.

Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal vs Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe

Yamal has made no secret of his desire to win the award in 11 days, but he will face stiff competition from French star Kylian Mbappe and England captain Harry Kane.

Mbappe, who has broken goal-scoring records of his own, leads the attack at Real Madrid – Barcelona’s fiercest rivals and the undeniable kings of European football.

While Real have not won the Champions League since the 2023-24 season, which brought their record-extending 15th trophy, Mbappe helped them beat Italian giants Inter Milan in their first match last month.

Before joining Real in 2024, Mbappe was on a goal-scoring spree with French champions Paris Saint-Germain. He joined the club as an 18-year-old in 2017 and enjoyed great success a year later.

As a then-19-year-old, Mbappe scored 12 goals and made four assists in his first 10 games, bringing his goal contribution to 16 – one behind Yamal’s current record after the same number of matches.

The master Messi vs apprentice Yamal?

While comparisons between Yamal’s overall career with Messi’s would be grossly unfair, the Spaniard is following in his club legend’s footsteps.

Both players enjoy the unique statistic of having scored braces in their first five La Liga games. Messi’s came as a 25-year-old in the 2012-13 season, while Yamal has achieved the same feat this season.

In April 2007, Messi scored his famous solo goal against Getafe, dribbling from his own half past five players as Camp Nou watched in awe.

Three months later, Lamine Yamal was born, and not long after, Messi was seen with baby Yamal in a photo that went viral this year.

The hype reached fever pitch during the World Cup as a young Messi bathed baby Yamal during a TV commercial. At first, many thought it was an AI-generated image, but it’s indeed real and dates back to 2007.

During a UNICEF fundraising shoot at Camp Nou stadium, a 20-year-old Messi met Yamal, who was only five months old at the time.

The two Barcelona stars faced off in the World Cup final on July 19, with the Argentinian walking away in tears as Yamal’s Spain lifted the trophy, but not before they exchanged a warm embrace.

Yamal later revealed what he said to Messi on the pitch in New York.

“I said thank you for everything you gave football,” Yamal told a British newspaper.

Before the final, much of the attention had centred on the battle between 39-year-old Messi and 19-year-old Yamal, with the match likened to a master vs apprentice clash.

Nineteen years on from that iconic photo, Yamal is already chasing Messi’s Barcelona milestones. Here’s how old each of them was when they played their 150th game for the club.

Barcelona boss says ‘Everyone’s watching Lamine’

During the current season, Yamal’s incredible goal tally overshadows that of three other La Liga teams.

His seven individual goals in the league are more than what Valencia (six), Getafe (four) and Malaga (four) have managed as teams.

The forward’s form and skills are not lost on his manager, Hansi Flick.

The Barcelona boss heaped praise on his number 10 after the 4-1 win over Galatasaray in Istanbul.

“When you see the chances Lamine creates in every training session, it’s the same in matches. I have a lot of top-quality players. Everyone’s watching Lamine – that’s only natural.”

“It’s incredible to have players like that; he’s turned the game around for us.”