Barcelona vs PSG: Complete head-to-head record

Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have encountered one another with such frequency in modern times that a simmering rivalry has been allowed to brew.

There’s nothing eternal about Barca and PSG’s competitive spat but this rivalry has transcended mere on-field battles. The pair have often duelled over transfer targets following PSG’s rise to elite relevance in the 2010s, with the French club’s artificially cultivated financial might coming to the fore when they prised Neymar away from Catalonia for a world-record fee in 2017.

Barca have so often been the thorn in PSG’s quest for continental glory and here’s an overview of their on-field history.

After winning all six group games, PSG had a mammoth task in the 1994/95 Champions League quarter-finals when they faced Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona, winners of the competition in 1992 and humiliated runners-up the season prior.

The French side were aiming to prove themselves among the continent’s best and secured an admirable draw at Camp Nou, giving them a great chance of progressing beyond Cruyff’s fading ‘Dream Team’.

George Weah scored the equaliser in Catalonia, but alternate heroes came to the fore as they overturned a 1-0 deficit in the French capital. Playmaker Rai restored parity with his header in the final 20 minutes before PSG, buoyed by a fervent Parc des Princes, went on to prevail thanks to Vincent Guerin’s drive from outside the area.

The triumph was arguably the most significant in the club’s European history at the time, but their journey would end in the last four as they succumbed to holders Milan.

12 of the 13 meetings between these two clubs have come in the Champions League. The other arrived with silverware on the line in the form of the 1996/97 Cup Winners’ Cup.

The now-defunct competition was won by PSG the season prior as they became just the second French team after Marseille in 1993 to win a European title. An influx of stars including Patrice Loko and Youri Djorkaeff had helped PSG get over the line in Europe and they returned to the final of the Cup Winners’ Cup as holders.

The final against Barca was far from a classic, with Ronaldo’s first-half penalty deciding the contest. Led by Sir Bobby Robson and blessed with a litany of superstars, Barca held off PSG’s second-half resurgence to claim their fourth Cup Winners’ Cup crown.

The arrival of Qatari investment heralded a new dawn in Paris, but the conquest of their ultimate goal had so far proven unsuccessful.

PSG had blossomed into Champions League regulars and were often regarded among the favourites given the fearsome talent they possessed. Barca stood in their way at the start of the 2016/17 knockout stages, but it looked as if PSG would waltz into the quarter-finals after they secured one of their most impressive victories in the club’s history.

Barca, who won the competition just two seasons before and were once again dominant throughout the group stage, were stunned in France. Former Real Madrid star Angel Di Maria scored two delightful goals from distance, with his strikes separated by a Julian Draxler effort amid the German’s finest performance in a PSG shirt.

The hosts’ rout was complete with 20 minutes remaining when Thomas Meunier exploited a vacant midfield and fed Edinson Cavani, who finished with aplomb.

PSG had one foot in the last eight.

Having conceded four goals in one game for just the sixth time in their European history (at the time), Barca required the comeback of all comebacks to preserve their Champions League dream.

No team had ever overturned a 4-0 first leg deficit in the competition’s history, but Barca were making a good fist of it. Luis Enrique’s side took a 3-0 lead within 50 minutes before Cavani netted a seemingly decisive away goal on the hour.

Barca needed three to progress, and then Neymar happened.

PSG had spurned several chances to truly kill off the tie, but Barca’s chances of completing the turnaround were unfathomable as the second leg entered its final act. Neymar’s stunning free-kick with two minutes remaining was thought to be nothing more than conciliatory, but Camp Nou started to dream once more when the Brazilian converted from 12 yards heading into stoppage time.

The hosts needed just one more moment, and in the final 30 seconds of the tie, ‘La Remontada‘ was complete. Homegrown Sergi Roberto stretched and got on the end of Neymar’s subtly superb ball in behind, crashing his effort beyond Kevin Trapp to send Catalonia – and the football world – into a frenzy.

Barca had prevailed in each of their two-legged affairs between 2013 and 2017, but this was PSG’s time.

Beaten finalists the previous campaign, the French outfit were dominant in the first leg of their round of 16 tie against the Catalans.

Lionel Messi handed the hosts a first-half lead before Kylian Mbappe took full control. The French superstar led a PSG frontline that also contained Mauro Icardi and Moise Kean, scoring three times as the visitors won comfortably away from home. Kean also got on the scoresheet.

Barcelona vs PSG – Complete H2H record

Barcelona vs PSG – Champions League H2H record

Top scorers in Barcelona vs PSG fixtures

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