PSG will host Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League opener on Tuesday, looking to begin their European campaign on a high.
PSG have made a disappointing start to their league campaign, and they have picked up just two wins from their last five matches ahead of the viist of Borussia Dortmund. They will have to improve in order to grind out a positive result against the Bundesliga outfit.
Les Parisiens were beaten by OGC Nice at home in their last outing, and the fans will expect a strong reaction from the players here. Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund have picked up three wins and two draws in their last five matches across all competitions and will look to pull off an upset here.
PSG are clearly quite vulnerable right now and they are there for the taking. Dortmund have been quite efficient going forward, scoring 14 goals in their last five outings. They could cause all sorts of problems for the PSG defence and it remains to be seen whether they can grind out a morale-boosting victory in the group opener.
Team News and Tactics
Paris Saint-Germain
The home side will be without the services of Marco Asensio, Nordi Mukiele, Nuno Mendes, Presnel Kimpembe, Lee Kang-in, Sergio Rico and Alexandre Letellier due to their respective injuries.
🎙 Paris Saint-Germain – Borussia Dortmund: pre match press conference 🔴🔵 https://t.co/l7hPWH70LQ
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) September 18, 2023
They are likely to shape up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal. Achraf Hakimi and Lucas Hernandez will be deployed as the full-backs, and they will look to create goal-scoring opportunities and add width to the side along with their defensive responsibilities.
Marquinhos will start at the heart of the defence alongside Milan Skriniar. In the midfield, Manuel Ugarte will hold the fort, and he will look to break up the opposition attacks. Vitinha and Warren Zaire-Emery will start alongside him. Finally, Goncalo Ramos will lead the line for PSG, with Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar, Hernandez; Zaire-Emery, Ugarte, Vitinha; Dembele, Ramos, Mbappe
Borussia Dortmund
The German outfit will be without the services of Thomas Meunier, Mateu Morey and Giovanni Reyna. They are likely to shape up in a 4-3-3 formation as well, with Gregor Kobel in goal. Marius Wolf and Rami Bensebaini will be deployed as the full-backs.
📍Paris 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/oLsdM5lscU
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) September 18, 2023
Mats Hummels will start alongside Nico Schlotterbeck at the heart of the defence. Up ahead in midfield, Emre Can will start at the base, and he will look to provide protection to the central defenders and break up the opposition play.
Julian Brandt and Marcel Sabitzer will add creativity and drive to the side from the middle of the park. Finally, Sebastien Haller will lead the line for the Germans, with Donnell Malen and Karim Adeyemi on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Kobel; Wolf, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Sabitzer, Can, Brandt; Malen, Haller, Adeyemi
Key Stats
- The only previous meetings between PSG and Borussia Dortmund came in the 2019/20 Round of 16. Les Parisiens lost 2-1 away but won 2-0 at home, eventually reaching the final.
- None of Borussia Dortmund’s 14 UEFA Champions League games against French opponents have ended in a draw (W8 L6).
- Paris Saint-Germain have made a horrendous start to the season, winning only two of their opening five matches.
- Borussia Dortmund are unbeaten in the Bundesliga this season, though have drawn two of their four matches.
Player to Watch
Kylian Mbappe
The 24-year-old is one of the best players in the world, and he is in scintillating form right now. Mbappe has scored 16 goals in his last ten appearances for club and country, and he will look to make his mark in this game as well. Despite PSG being quite inconsistent so far this season, Mbappe has been at his brilliant best and he is our key man to watch out for.
Prediction
PSG 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
The French outfit are undoubtedly the better team on paper, and they have enough quality to grind out a win at home. Borussia Dortmund have been quite impressive going forward, but they have looked vulnerable defensively, which could be a major issue against players like Kylian Mbappe.
Neither side are in particularly good form right now and this is likely to be an even contest. Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet but PSG have the resources to come out on top eventually. A narrow 2-1 win for the home side is on the cards.
