Montjuïc kneels before Nuno Mendes

Nuno Mendes locks down Barca's Lamine Yamal.

PSG's 2-1 win over Barcelona in the second round of the League Phase of the Champions League on October 2 was not only a collective performance, but also a night that affirmed the position of the Portuguese left-back - a player who is silencing all the world's top strikers.

As Hakimi said before

Before the away trip to Montjuïc, Achraf Hakimi warned: “Yamal will have to face the best left-back in the world”. That was not flattery for his teammate, but the truth proven by Mendes' actions.

In 2025, the name Nuno Mendes went through a series of terrible challenges: Mohamed Salah, Bukayo Saka, Lamine Yamal - three of the top wingers - and all were powerless against the "wall" wearing the number 25 shirt of PSG.

In the Champions League this season alone, Mendes scored 1 goal, 1 assist and participated in every decisive confrontation. In the match against Barca, he not only blocked Yamal, but also directly assisted Mayulu to score the equalizer. A powerful sprint, escaping the challenge and passing like a pin, that is proof of one of the most complete left-backs today.

The French media did not spare praise. “Mendes, the king of Montjuïc,” L'Équipe headlined, declaring him the best left-back in Europe. Luis Enrique, who turned him into a versatile drill in the PSG system, even went so far as to call the Hakimi-Mendes duo “the best full-back duo in the world.”

Nuno Mendes proves to be the best left-back in the world right now.

Mendes has not only played the role of a left-back. Enrique has allowed him to move inside, even into the box as a striker on the counter-attack. It was from there that he scored against Aston Villa in the quarter-finals of last season’s Champions League. It is a rare transformation for a player who is defined as a “defender.”

Mendes’s talent lies not in his crosses or long shots, but in his ability to make even the best opponents “disappear”. In the round of 16 of the Champions League last season, Salah – a Golden Ball candidate – was completely neutralized for 180 minutes, not getting past Mendes once.

In the semi-finals, Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s hope, suffered the same fate. And most recently, Lamine Yamal, the 18-year-old prodigy hailed as the future of Spanish football, was also helpless against the Portuguese defender’s tenacity and “wind-breaking” speed.

Nuno Mendes is good at offense and defense.

The statistics show that Mendes won 8 out of 16 duels against Barca - an impressive number considering his constant attacking. Every time Mendes rushed forward, it was like a big hole was created in the opponent's defense, and every time he retreated, even the fastest strikers could not penetrate.

From trauma to sublimation

Few people remember that when he first arrived in Paris in 2021 for 38 million euros, Mendes had to struggle with constant injuries. But instead of giving up, he persevered in honing his fitness and playing style. Now, at the age of 23, Mendes has escaped the shadow of the past to become a "whirlwind" on the left wing.

In Luis Enrique's hands, he is not just a defender, but a strategic weapon - both blocking opponents and directly opening up thunderous counter-attacks. PSG may be proud of their flashy attack, but to dominate Europe as they are now, they need extraordinary defensive wings - Achraf and especially Nuno Mendes.

Montjuïc on October 2 saw Barca collapse, but what remained was the sublime performance of Nuno Mendes. He did not need a goal to shine, because every run, every tackle, every move forward was an affirmation: currently, no one plays the left-back position better than him.

In a PSG built as a collective masterpiece, Nuno Mendes is the boldest and most perfect stroke - a symbol of strength, speed and completeness. And with the way he is making Salah, Saka, Yamal bow their heads, there is no doubt: Mendes is the number one left-back in the world.

Source: https://znews.vn/montjuic-quy-goi-truoc-nuno-mendes-post1590288.html