PSG vs Barcelona: A battle between the two youngest sides in the Champions League

Securing a berth in the Champions League quarterfinal has been by far Barcelona’s most significant achievement this season.

However, the job gets tougher from here on, with the Catalans set to take on Paris Saint-Germain in the first of two legs on April 10.

Barcelona: second youngest team in UCL last eight

Barcelona’s clash against PSG promises to be an exciting one as they are two of the youngest teams in the Champions League quarterfinal stage.

Barcelona are the second youngest team in the UCL last eight, with an average age of 24.8. PSG are the youngest, with the team’s average age being 24.4.

This is barely surprising as Barcelona have been able to nurture several young talents in recent years, with the squad boasting talents such as Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Pedri, Gavi and Fermin Lopez among others.

Cubarsi is one of many Barcelona top talents (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

While veterans such as Inigo Martinez, Sergi Roberto, Marcos Alonso and Oriol Romeu do add to the average age, they do provide invaluable experience that provide the perfect balance to the team.

Barcelona and PSG are followed by Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal respectively, with both teams tied at an average age of 25.5.

On the flip side, Atletico Madrid are the oldest team in the UCL last night, with an average age of 28.6. This is consistent with Atleti’s historical record in the competition, at least when it comes to average age.

Real Madrid are not far behind either, claiming the second last spot with an average age of 27.2 despite the emergence of youngsters such as Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni and Rodrygo, among others.

A look at PSG’s side

After letting go of Lionel Messi and Neymar in the summer, PSG made sure to reinforce their side with younger guns, like Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani, who are 22 and 25, respectively.

Bradley Barcola was also signed, and at 21, is their youngest first-team forward.

In midfield, Warren Zaire-Emery is doing most of the heavy-lifting at the age of 18, while Manuel Ugarte, Kang-in Lee, and Vitinha stand at 22, 23, and 24 years of age, respectively.

Starting centre-back Lucas Beraldo is quite young, as well, at 20, while Nuno Mendes, at 21, is also only a infant in terms of his playing career.