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 playoffs spot 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 takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Paris Saint-Germain
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Pacho, Hernandez, Nuno Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Dembele, Doue, Barcola
Manchester City
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 last two 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 performances.
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.