PSG boss Luis Enrique names the one way to stop Lamine Yamal

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FT Desk

Two of the favourites to win the Champions League, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, face off in the league phase this week.

They are the two clubs that occupy the top spots in the table following the first two matches, with two wins each.

Barcelona defeated Feyenoord 5-1 on Matchday One and then Galatasaray 4-1 away on Matchday Two, while PSG won 6-1 against Slovan Bratislava and 4-2 away at Manchester City.

Their performance against Man City, in particular, was outstanding and cemented their status as one of the favourites to win the whole tournament, having emerged victorious in 2025 and 2026.

They will face a tough test against Barca this week and will come up against one of the players tipped to win the Ballon d'Or - Lamine Yamal. The World Cup winner has been in sensational form at the beginning of the new campaign, with no less than 19 goal contributions (nine goals and 10 assists) in his first 11 matches.

How does a team stop the Spaniard in this kind of form, then? PSG boss Luis Enrique says the only way to minimise Yamal's impact is by stopping Barcelona from getting the ball to him.

"The best way to stop Lamine Yamal is to keep the ball away from Barcelona," Enrique said in the pre-match press conference on Monday.

"If he cannot get the ball, everything is calm. That would be ideal, but we know it won't be the case because it is difficult to play against Barcelona and Lamine Yamal.

"The way to defend a team with their quality is to be wary and approach it as a team. But it's not just Lamine. There's Raphinha, Pedri...there are a lot of top players."

Yamal's emergence as a wonderkid at Barcelona naturally generated comparisons with Lionel Messi, who burst onto the scene at Camp Nou as a young man also. But, Enrique, who used to coach the Argentine, says it is important that Yamal carves out his own reputation.

"I think Lamine wants to be Lamine and he is doing very well," he said.

"He is improving in every aspect of his game, but if you compare him with the best player ever, there will only be one winner.

"Maybe we can speak in the future about that, but right now it is best not to compare him with Messi."

The fixture on Tuesday is set to be an emotional one for Enrique as he used to play for and coach Barcelona, but he is fully concentrated on doing what is being for Paris Saint-Germain after creating a dynasty in the French capital.

"I am a Barça member, I played there and was the coach," he said. "I have an incredible relationship with Catalonia. My wife and children are Catalans.

"But we often face Barcelona. It was strange at first, but now I am getting used to it. They play similar football to us. They have so much quality and showcase values I like.

"I love watching Barça, the way they play. It's great to see the ambition and identity, which is similar to what we are looking for.

"But of course I would love to win tomorrow, as a Parisian, and we want to become the first team to beat Barça this season."

Barcelona have scored 48 goals this season, averaging four a game.