First test before the summit: Barcelona beat the fog and fly to Paris

Never-ending problems

Thick fog delayed Barcelona's journey to Paris ahead of Tuesday evening's Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain, with the plane unable to take off on time on Monday morning as low visibility gripped El Prat airport.

The Catalan side had been due in the air at half past ten in the morning. Fog smothered the runway and grounded the flight, leaving the delegation waiting for clearance to depart.

More than an hour passed before the plane finally lifted off at 11.50am, touching down in the Paris area around two o'clock in the afternoon local time.

That hold-up ate into Barcelona's preparation for the eagerly awaited meeting with PSG, squeezing the time available to run through their planned arrangements once they landed in France. The delay still ran to only a few hours.

A tough test awaits against the Parisians in a Champions League fixture drawing plenty of attention, with both sides chasing a positive result on the continental stage.