Scandal-hit Man City returns to Champions League hosting PSG. In-form Barcelona goes to Galatasaray - Inside Politics
The soccer schedule gods had a sense of humor making Manchester City's return to the Champions League after a devastating verdict of financial rule-breaking a game against Paris Saint-Germain. Man City hosts title holder PSG on Wednesday in a standout meeting of Middle East state-backed clubs who were on parallel narratives for much of the past 15 years that now have wildly diverged.
Barcelona is still Europe's best team this season five weeks after the opening round of Champions League games and takes a run of nine straight wins to Galatasaray on Tuesday. Arsenal hosts Lille on Tuesday looking for a 14th straight win in the league phase across all three seasons of the current format.
Bayern Munich also plays Tuesday, at Norwegian champion Viking, and Real Madrid has a Wednesday visit to one of coach José Mourinho's former clubs Roma. Tale of two cities between Manchester and Paris in Champions League Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain had much in common before combining to win three of the past four Champions League titles.
They had won none in the previous 67 seasons of the marquee competition. They were underachieving big city clubs transformed by soccer's new wave of petrostate wealth: Man City in 2008 backed by Abu Dhabi's royal family and a Qatari takeover of PSG in 2011.
Ambitious investment with sponsors from home created issues complying with UEFA's new Financial Fair Play rules and both were fined 20 million euros ($22.4 million) in 2014. Each lost their first Champions League final - PSG to Bayern in 2020 and Man City the next year to Chelsea - then broke through in title games against Inter Milan led by coaches who previously won it with Barcelona.
Man City won in 2023 and PSG in 2025. Under Luis Enrique, PSG is playing widely admired soccer chasing a hat trick of European titles.
Just months after Pep Guardiola left, Man City risks becoming a pariah after long-held suspicion about the club's financial success was proven last month by a Premier League tribunal. The pending sanctions could force years of Champions League exile for the club, which is appealing.
Man City connection to Gala vs. Barca Rodri and Ilkay Gündoğan were the heart of Man City's midfield in the 2023 final and the Spanish star scored the only goal in Istanbul to defeat Inter.
On Tuesday they will be back in Istanbul but on opposite sides when Gündoğan and Turkish champion Galatasaray welcome Barcelona, having added Rodri in the offseason to an already powerful lineup. Barcelona is averaging more than four goals scored per game this season, and started the Champions League beating Feyenoord 5-1.