Paris Saint-Germain will kick start their 2024/25 UEFA Champions League campaign with a home game against Girona.
Girona are all set for their debut in Europe’s biggest club competition as they will hit the road to face Ligue 1 giants PSG at the Parc des Princes. While the Catalan outfit had a sensational have a tough time against one of the biggest clubs in the world.
The French giants have had a great start to the new season as they have won each of their first four league games. They will aim for a similar start in the Champions League when they host Michel’s Girona.
PSG are heading into the game against Girona on the back of a 3-1 win over Brest at the weekend. It was a dominant display from them, and they will be confident about their chances of getting the job done. It
The Spanish outfit surprised one and all with their exceptional run in La Liga last season. But, Michel does not have the same squad. Quite a few of their stars left the club in the summer. and they have had a mixed start to the new season with two wins, two defeats and a draw in their first five league games.
The Catalan outfit are heading into this one on the back of a 4-1 defeat at the hands of local rivals Barcelona. Girona were outplayed by the Blaugrana and will hope to put up a better fight against PSG. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Paris Saint-Germain
Luis Enrique will be without the services of Lucas Hernandez, Goncalo Ramos, and Presnel Kimpembe. Apart from the trio, the availability of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Warren Zaire-Emery and Vitinha is doubtful. The Portuguese international trained on Monday, but the other two did not.
PSG will stick to the 4-3-3 formation, where Donnarumma will be in goal if he is fit enough. If not, Matvey Safonov could start in this outing. In the heart of the defence, skipper Marquinhos will pair up with Willian Pacho.
Apart from the duo, Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes will feature at the back. The pair will be the full-backs, while their priority will be to keep things tight at the back, they will look to join the attack and cause problems for Girona at the back.
In the centre of the park, Fabian Ruiz will start alongside Lee Kang-in and Joao Neves. Ruiz will have the freedom to roam around whereas Neves and Kang-in will look to shield the backline. Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola will feature on the flanks. They will look to stretch the opposition defence and create chances for Randal Kolo Muani, who will be lead the line.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Lee, Ruiz, Neves; Dembele, Kolo Muani, Barcola
Girona
The visitors will be without the services of Ricard Artero and Jastin Garcia in their first-ever Champions League fixture. Meanwhile, the availability of Yangel Herrera is a doubt as he missed out on their last outing against Barcelona.
Girona will also line up in a 4-3-3, with Paulo Gazzaniga in between the sticks. The back four will be made up of Alejandro Frances, Miguel Gutierrez, David Lopez and Daley Blind. Frances and Guiterrez will be the full-backs, while Lopez and Blind will take charge in the heart of the defence.
Oriol Romeu will return to the XI after missing the game against his parent club. He will feature as the defensive midfielder and will have the support of Jhon Solis and Ivan Martin in the centre of the park.
Viktor Tsygankov and Arnaut Danjuma will feature on the flanks. They will provide width to their attacks and also look to help out the full-backs against the star-studded PSG team. Meanwhile, Abel Ruiz will be leading the line for the away side.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Gazzaniga; Frances, Lopez, Blind, Gutierrez; Martin, Romeu, Solis; Tsygankov, Ruiz, Danjuma
Key Stats
- Girona are all set to make their first appearance in the UEFA Champions League.
- PSG have all four of their fixtures in the new season.
- The Catalan outfit’s 4-1 defeat at the hands of Barcelona was their heaviest home defeat since Michel took charge in 2021.
- PSG have scored two or more goals in 15 out of their last 20 outings.
- Girona have only scored eight goals in their five league outings and they have let in the same amount of goals.
Player to Watch
Ousmane Dembele
Following the departure of Kylian Mbappe, Dembele seems to be the new leader of the French club’s attack. The 27-year-old winger has had an impressive start to the new season with three goals and three assists in his four league outings, and he will be eager to hit the ground running in the UCL against Girona on Matchday 1.
Prediction
Paris Saint Germain 3-1 Girona
Girona surely managed to punch above their weight last season. But, those players who helped them reach those levels are no longer at the club. While Michel is confident about getting it right with the help of the squad he has, Girona will find it difficult to stop the high-flying PSG. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 3-1 win for PSG at home.
