A critical UEFA Champions League beckons as Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City get set to clash at Parc des Princes in a virtual “six-pointer” on Wednesday.
The curtains will fall on Matchday 7 of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. The action kick-starts with two early matches before ending with seven simultaneous games, including PSG vs Manchester City at Parc des Princes, the marquee tie of the latest round of fixtures.
Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City have been two of the most disappointing teams in the UEFA Champions League this season. The hosts are not even in the playoff spots and sit in the 25th position in the standings. A 1-0 victory over Girona on Matchday 6 eased some pressure, ending a four-match winless run in Europe.
However, failure to beat Manchester City might seal PSG’s fate, considering they face a tricky away test against VfB Stuttgart on Matchday 8. Speaking of Manchester City, the Citizens were in the upper echelons of the UEFA Champions League standings after Matchday 3 but have failed to win their subsequent three games. The dreadful run has dropped City to 22nd on the table.
However, Manchester City’s recent form has improved, with Pep Guardiola’s men on a six-match unbeaten run spanning a month. On the other hand, Luis Enrique’s charges have not lost a game since November, and the PSG manager will hope his players can carry that to Wednesday’s Champions League clash.
The most recent clash between PSG and Manchester City at Parc des Princes ended in a 2-0 victory for Les Parisiens in September 2021. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Paris Saint-Germain
Luis Enrique might greet a few positive updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The PSG manager will be bereft of the services of only three first-team players vs Manchester City on Wednesday.
Marquinhos will be the most notable absentee, with the Paris Saint-Germain captain recovering from a groin injury. In addition, Gabriel Moscardo remains unavailable, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is ineligible to feature in the UEFA Champions League until the knockout phase. Meanwhile, Achraf Hakimi and Ousmane Dembele are closing in on returning but face late fitness tests to determine their availability.
Gianluigi Donarumma will take his spot between the sticks, with PSG lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs Manchester City on Wednesday. The backline should feature Achraf Hakimi, Willian Pacho, Lucas Hernandez, and Nuno Mendes.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Warren Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, and Fabian Ruiz. Finally, Desire Doue should spearhead the Paris Saint-Germain attack against Manchester City, with Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola completing the numbers in the offensive trifecta.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Pacho, Hernandez, Nuno Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Dembele, Doue, Barcola
Manchester City
Like his counterpart in the Paris Saint-Germain dugout, Pep Guardiola does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to Parc des Princes. The Manchester City manager will be without four first-team players on Wednesday.
Rodri remains the most notable absentee, with the star midfielder recovering from a season-ending knee injury. The Spanish international accompanies John Stones (ankle), Nathan Ake (muscle injury), and Oscar Bobb (leg) on the sidelines.
Ederson Moraes is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Manchester City lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs PSG on Wednesday. The backline should feature Rico Lewis, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, and Josko Gvardiol.
As for the midfield unit, Mateo Kovacic should hold the fort in the middle of the park, with Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne taking creative charge. Finally, Erling Haaland will lead the line for Manchester City against Paris Saint-Germain, with Phil Foden and Savinho being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ederson; Lewis, Ruben Dias, Akanji, Gvardiol; Bernardo Silva, Kovacic, De Bruyne; Foden, Haaland, Savinho
Key Stats
- PSG have only won one of their seven matches vs Manchester City in European competition (D2 L4). Among teams they have faced more than five times in Europe, this is their lowest win percentage against any opponent (14%). However, their Ligue 1 giants won their last home match against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League (2-0 in September 2021).
- PSG beat Red Bull Salzburg 3-0 on Matchday 6, registering as many wins and goals as they had across their previous seven games in the UEFA Champions League (W1 D2 L4). They most recently won consecutive games in the competition last February when they beat Real Sociedad home and away in the round of 16.
- Manchester City have lost their two most recent away UEFA Champions League matches, one fewer than they had lost in their previous 28 games on the road (W16 D9 L3). Only once did they lose more on the bounce, doing so between November 2011 and December 2012 under Roberto Mancini (four).
- PSG have lost three of their last five UEFA Champions League home matches (W1 D1), as many as in their previous 17 games at the Parc des Princes (W11 D3), while Luis Enrique is the only PSG manager to lose as many as three home games in the competition.
- Only three players have created more chances in this season’s UEFA Champions League than Achraf Hakimi (16), with the Moroccan international assisting two of their three goals against Red Bull Salzburg on Matchday 6, having only registered three assists in his first 32 games in the competition for the French side.
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
Phil Foden was a viable candidate for this section amid his recent upturn in form and fortunes. In addition, Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola were also under consideration. However, we have picked Erling Haaland as our Player to Watch as he looks to improve his performance.
In his first 11 away UEFA Champions League appearances, Haaland scored 11 goals from 33 shots (33% conversion). However, across his last 11 away games, the Manchester City striker has scored only four times, with his conversion rate dipping to 10% (four goals from 41 shots). So, the Norwegian international will be eager to rediscover his best touch and help Manchester City rise in the standings.
Prediction
Paris Saint-Germain 2-2 Manchester City
Wednesday’s match features the two most disappointing teams in this season’s UEFA Champions League, and three points are of utmost importance for both sides. However, PSG’s form in Europe has plummeted, while Manchester City’s record without Rodri is abysmal.
Since the 2019/20 season, the Citizens have lost only three of their 49 UEFA Champions League matches with Rodri in the team (6%, W35 D11), compared to four defeats in 14 games without the Spaniard (29%, W7 D3). Another winless result without Rodri is on the cards, although PSG will unlikely have the quality to usurp Pep Guardiola’s men. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw, a frustrating result for both teams.
