Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League form has once again reached insane heights. In the semi-finals, the Parisians defeated Bayern Munich with a total score of 6-5 and advanced to the Champions League final.
Paris Saint-Germain’s form in the Champions League means they are just one game away from winning a second consecutive title.
They will face Arsenal in the final, who last played in a top-flight showdown against Barcelona in 2006.
Just twenty years ago, the Gunners reached the final on the back of a stellar defensive performance, just like they did this year. In 2006, they defeated Villarreal in the semifinals, and this year they eliminated another Spanish team, Atletico Madrid, in the semifinals.
With this in mind, will history repeat itself? Will Arsenal be beaten by the current Champions League champions?
PSG Champions League performance: How does PSG compare to Barcelona from 2006?
Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League performance can be compared to Barcelona’s two decades ago.
Barcelona had an excellent front three of Ronaldinho, Eto’o and Messi who tormented defenders throughout the game. Before reaching the final that season, Barca played Chelsea in an epic two-legged tie, much like PSG played Bayern.
Since both teams use a 4-3-3 formation, we can make a direct comparison between the two.
Likewise, PSG have a front three of Hviča Kvaratskhelya, Ousmane Dembélé and Desire Douai, all of whom are among the best defenses in the world.
PSG’s defense may be better than Barcelona’s in 2006, especially at full-back. Oleg and Giovanni van Blomkhorst are good for them, but not as good as Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, who are among the best players in the world in their respective positions.
Barcelona have a midfield trio of Edmilson, Xavi and Deco, which is an excellent midfield, while PSG have a midfield of Joao Neves, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz.
Neves and Vitinha play in a very similar style to Xavi and Deco, while Fabian Ruiz can contribute a lot to the defense, much like Edmilson.
PSG’s centre-backs of Marquinhos and Pacho are probably as good as Barcelona’s Carles Puyol and Rafael Marquez in 2006. However, none of PSG’s centre-backs have the ball-playing ability of Marquez, a very elegant defender.
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Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League style is more direct than Barcelona
PSG’s Champions League style of play is more explosive than Barcelona’s in 2006. Rijkaard’s Barcelona relied heavily on short passing and possession football.
In contrast, Paris Saint-Germain showed their excellent counterattack ability against Bayern. They attack with great pace and wingers Hvárachelia and Douai are capable of breaking down defences.
Dembélé is not a typical number nine like Eto’o, but more of a mobile center forward. As far as goalkeepers go, Barcelona’s Victor Valdes may be slightly ahead of PSG’s Matvey Safonov.
Overall, both teams are evenly matched, so it’s hard to choose between them.
This comparison shows that the current Paris Saint-Germain team is capable of defeating a fiercely defensive Arsenal team in the final, just like Barcelona did against the Gunners in 2006.
Paris Saint-Germain can certainly regain the Champions League this year and football neutrals are hoping Luis Enrique’s side can achieve that goal.
main photo
Credit: imagery / ZUMA creasing
Recording date: 06.05.2026
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