To Curb PSG, Hansi Flick Wants Barcelona to Dominate the Midfield

The battle in midfield will be a crucial aspect of the Paris Saint-Germain v Barcelona clash. Barca manager Hansi Flick has emphasised the importance of controlling that area.

Barcelona will take on the champions of the last two seasons, PSG, at the Parc des Princes in the early hours of Wednesday (21 October 2026) WIB. Both sides are locked in a tight battle at the top of the league table, having both remained unbeaten in their first two matchdays.

This marks a meeting between two teams with similar, though not identical, philosophies and styles. Both PSG and Barcelona aim to dominate possession, take the initiative and press aggressively.

Both also apply the principles of ‘juego de posición’, albeit in their own distinct ways. For instance, PSG places greater emphasis on maintaining the structure of their play whilst remaining flexible regarding role swaps amongst players.

Meanwhile, Barça tend to utilise positional play to deliver incisive passes. There will be a battle between the positional interchanges sought by Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and the brilliant individual flair of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Pedri.

However, the key to this match will lie in midfield, given that both teams like to dominate possession and believe this will minimise the threat. Hansi Flick has strongly warned his team about this and wants his players to avoid making mistakes.

“The midfield will be crucial. Both teams have outstanding players there. If we keep possession, they won’t be able to score against us,” he said on the UEFA website.

“The main thing is not to make mistakes, because Paris are extremely efficient. We must remain fully focused.”