Why UEFA have forced Barcelona into unique change ahead of Champions League clash vs PSG

UEFA have forced Barcelona into a unique change ahead of their mouth-watering Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night (October 20).

Barca travel to the Parc des Princes in exceptional form, owing to the brilliance of Ballon d'Or favourite Lamine Yamal, Anthony Gordon, and Raphinha, who have helped inspire Hansi Flick's men to an 11-match winning streak in all competitions.

Currently Europe's most potent team, the Spanish giants have set the Champions League alight after two matches, securing comfortable victories over Feyenoord and Galatasaray to sit joint-top of the competition alongside PSG and Premier League side Aston Villa.

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Why Barcelona will wear last season's orange kit against Paris Saint-Germain

Barcelona will want to continue their 100 per cent record in all competitions, but a trip to the Parc des Princes is arguably the most difficult place to go.

The French giants are bidding to complete a hat-trick of Champions League triumphs and become the first team since Real Madrid in 2018 to win the competition three times in a row.

A clash against Luis Enrique's men, who clinched an incredible 4-2 victory over Manchester City last week, will be the biggest test of their credentials after losing to Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals last season.

Interestingly, for their visit to PSG, Barca will not be able to use any of their three kits this season, including the traditional Blaugrana shirt, the second black and purple kit dedicated to Kobe Bryant, or the blue alternative, as per SPORT.

That is because the three options have been ruled out by television criteria and the need to clearly differentiate the colours of both teams during the broadcast, with UEFA ordering Barcelona to use the bright orange shirt they wore against PSG last season.

The choice has already appeared in the club’s official promotional material for the match and features Yamal, Pedri and Gordon wearing last season’s shirt, which belongs to Nike's 'Total 90' collection and is inspired by the football aesthetic of the early 2000s.

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Hansi Flick will still play high line against PSG

A mouth-watering tie against two of the world's best teams only sets up a fascinating tussle, where Barca will want to avoid a repeat of their defeat in 2025/26.

PSG came from behind to beat the Spanish giants 2-1 at the Camp Nou, with Goncalo Ramos scoring the winner in added time.

Flick's iconic high line was caught out by Enrique's star-studded attack, and the German continues to go aggressive in his style, which invariably leaves gaps for teams to exploit on the counter.

In fact, Barca have only kept one clean sheet in their last seven matches, but despite this, Flick will continue to deploy a high line even against the reigning back-to-back champions while acknowledging the risks at the same time.

“Playing with a high defensive line is always a risk," he said in his pre-match press conference. "But the key is how we react and press when we lose possession, how we maintain distance between us, and if we do that well, there’s a huge advantage to playing with a high defensive line.

"We’ve only had one clean sheet [in the last seven games], but we’ve scored a lot of goals.”

Barcelona clearly plan to outscore their opponents on Tuesday night, and that mindset creates the possibility of an incredibly exciting matchup.