Nuno Mendes shines against Yamal as PSG beats Barcelona 2-1 in Champions League

Advertisement

Advertise with us

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Maybe Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi was right after all when he said teammate Nuno Mendes is the best left back in the world right now.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Monthly Digital Subscription

$1 per week for 24 weeks*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles

*Billed as $4.00 plus GST every four weeks. After 24 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

Monthly Digital Subscription

$4.75/week*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles

*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Add Winnipeg Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only

$1 for the first 4 weeks*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles
Start now

No thanks

*$1 will be added to your next bill. After your 4 weeks access is complete your rate will increase by $0.00 a X percent off the regular rate.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Maybe Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi was right after all when he said teammate Nuno Mendes is the best left back in the world right now.

Mendes sure looked like one of the best in the position on Wednesday, keeping star Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal at bay and assisting in one of PSG’s goals in a 2-1 win over the Catalan club in the Champions League.

Hakimi, a right back who assisted in Gonçalo Ramos’ 90th-minute winner for defending champion PSG, had said ahead of the game that Yamal “will be playing against the best left back in the world.”

PSG's Nuno Mendes fouls Barcelona's Lamine Yamal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Oct.1, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
PSG's Nuno Mendes fouls Barcelona's Lamine Yamal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Oct.1, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

“He is capable of stopping Lamine,” Hakimi said of Mendes, who was named man of the match.

Yamal got off to a promising start Wednesday, awing the crowd with a great run just minutes into the match at Montjuic stadium. But he couldn’t do much more after that, with the 23-year-old Mendes containing him most of the time.

“I’m very pleased to see the younger players thriving in this match; learning, playing well, impressing our fans,” PSG coach Luis Enrique coach said. “We consistently play rivals of a really high level. The most important thing for me is our DNA, our attitude — as a squad and as a club — and that’s what we saw today.”

The 18-year-old Yamal made his first start for Barcelona since August because of a pubic-area injury sustained while playing with Spain’s national team during the international break in September. He came off the bench for the Catalan club in its 2-1 win against Real Sociedad in the Spanish league on Sunday.

It was a run by Mendes down the left side that led to Senny Mayulu’s 38th-minute equalizer for PSG after Ferran Torres had put the hosts ahead in the 19th.

Yamal ended the match being shown a yellow card for a foul on Lucas Hernández.

PSG is the the first team to win three straight road games against Barcelona in major European competitions. Barcelona was looking to win its sixth consecutive match across all tournaments.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Report Error Submit a Tip

Soccer

LOAD MORE