Athletic Club will host PSG at San Mames on Wednesday night, eager to get their UEFA Champions League campaign back on track.
Athletic Club have picked up just one win from five matches, and they will be desperate to bounce back strongly in the game vs PSG. The Basque outfit have been quite inconsistent in their last few outing, and they have picked up just three wins from their last six matches in all competitions.
There is no doubt that Ernesto Valverde has a quality squad at his disposal, and the hosts will look to bounce back strongly. However, they are up against one of the best teams in Europe. This will be a tough outing for them.
Meanwhile, PSG are coming into this game on the back of four wins from their last five matches in all competitions. They are second in the UEFA Champions League standings with four wins from five matches. They will certainly fancy their chances of getting a good result here. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the upcoming meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Athletic Club
Athletic Club will be without Aitor Paredes, who serves a yellow-card suspension, while Benat Prados, Maroan Sannadi, and Unai Egiluz all miss out with long-term knee injuries. Imaki Williams is still recovering from an adductor problem, and he is sidelined as well.
Athletic Club will start in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs PSG, with Unai Simon in goal. In the back four, Jesus Areso, Dani Vivian, Aymeric Laporte, and Adama Boiro will look to nullify the PSG attacking threat. Areso and Boiro will look to help the team going forward as well.
As for the midfield unit, Alejandro Rego and Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta are expected to pair up in the double pivot. They will look to protect the back four and break down the opposition’s attacking moves.
Alex Berenguer, Oihan Sancet, and Robert Navarro will start as the attacking midfielders, and they will support Gorka Guruzeta, who will lead the line for Athletic Club vs PSG on Wednesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Simon; Areso, Vivian, Laporte, Boiro; Rego, Galarreta; Berenguer, Sancet, Navarro; Guruzeta
PSG
PSG are without Lucas Hernandez, who is suspended following his red card. Nuno Mendes and Renato Marin are sidelined with a dead leg. Desire Doue is nursing a hamstring injury, while Achraf Hakimi remains out with an ankle sprain.
PSG will start in a 4-3-3 formation vs Athletic Club, and Lucas Chevalier should continue in goal. Warren Zaire-Emery, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, and Lucas Beraldo will start in the back four. Zaire-Emery and Beraldo will look to help out at both ends of the pitch.
As for the midfield unit, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz and João Neves are expected to form PSG’s midfield trio vs Athletic Club. They will add control and composure to the side. The front three will feature Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele, either side of Bradley Barcola.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Chevalier; Zaire-Emery, Marquinhos, Pacho, Beraldo; Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz; Kvaratskhelia, Barcola, Dembele
Key Stats
- PSG have picked up four wins from their last five matches in the UEFA Champions League.
- Athletic Club have picked up one win from their last five matches in the UEFA Champions League.
- Eight goals have been scored in the last two matches between these two teams.
- Both teams have picked up a victory against each other in the last two meetings between them.
- Both teams have lost two of the last six matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
The Georgian international attacker is in impressive form this season, and he is our key player to watch out for. Kvaratskhelia will help his teammates create opportunities in the final third, and he will look to add to his goal tally for the season as well.
Athletic Club have been quite vulnerable defensively this season, and Kvaratskhelia could cause all sorts of problems for them with his pace, trickery, and unpredictability. PSG will need him to create opportunities in the final third, and he is likely to make life difficult for the opposition.
Prediction
Athletic Club 1-2 PSG
Both teams will be desperate for a win in the UEFA Champions League clash at San Mames, and this is likely to be a close contest. Neither side is defensive in their approach, and this is likely to be an open game with plenty of chances on offer.
It is fair to assume that both teams will get on the score sheet here. However, PSG have more quality and depth in the attacking unit. They should be able to grind out a victory away from home. The home team will put up a fight here, but they are likely to come up short. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Luis Enrique and his charges.
