The 2025/26 season was supposed to be a three-way battle for European supremacy — Barcelona, Liverpool, and PSG. Yet, just a few months in, two of those giants are already showing cracks. What began as an ambitious pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain’s continental throne has turned into a fight for stability.

What’s Going Wrong at Barcelona?

The 4-1 defeat to Sevilla was more than just a bad night — it was a wake-up call. The loss ended Barça’s unbeaten run in LaLiga and exposed a troubling lack of defensive structure and intensity. Inside the dressing room, even the players admitted they weren’t “themselves” on the pitch.

Tactical analysts have been blunt: Hansi Flick’s high defensive line is becoming “suicidal,” constantly leaving gaps that opponents exploit with ease. The absence of Lamine Yamal and the inconsistency of key players have left the team vulnerable and short on ideas in attack.

What About Liverpool?

Over at Anfield, the issues feel eerily similar. Once touted as PSG’s biggest European rival, Liverpool are struggling to find rhythm and cohesion. Their Champions League 2024/25 elimination — against PSG, no less, in a penalty shootout — still lingers as a painful reminder of how far they’ve slipped from their peak.

This season, the Reds’ rebuild feels more like a desperate patchwork than a long-term project. The arrival of Florian Wirtz was meant to bring new creativity, but inconsistency and a dip in collective confidence have kept the team from settling into a clear identity. Meanwhile, several young prospects have been offloaded, signaling a squad in transition rather than evolution.

PSG: The Unchallenged King — For Now

While Barcelona and Liverpool wrestle with their own demons — defensive fragility, tactical confusion, and uneven performances — PSG remain the calm eye of the storm. With a stable core and minimal off-field drama, the French champions look poised to dominate both domestically and in Europe once again.

But football’s hierarchy can shift fast. If either Barcelona or Liverpool hope to dethrone the Parisian powerhouse, they’ll need to react quickly. Because so far, PSG aren’t just holding the crown — they’re making it look effortless.