PSG begin the hunt for that elusive Champions League crown yet again when they host Spanish giants Real Madrid at the Parc de Princes on Wednesday night.
After spending over €1bn on player purchase alone through a period of almost a decade, the Ligue 1 champions are still without that prestigious Champions League star in their kit.
It is not going to get any easier because coming up next is a clash against the most successful team in the competition’s history in Real Madrid, ably led by the manager who guided them to three consecutive Champions League triumph recently.
Los Blancos ended last season trophy-less and if that sorry story must change this term, a favourable result away to one of the competition’s favourites would be a good pointer.
Zinedine Zidane’s men have started the league season in indifferent form with their narrow 3-2 win over Levante only their second win of the season in five games.
In contrast, PSG have enjoyed a typically promising start to the new season in France, which is hardly surprising considering their utter domination of the domestic game over the past 8 years.
Match Stats
PSG have won 6 and lost 1 of their 7 competitive games so far, building up a 2 point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table in the process.
The home side have scored in each of their last 24 Champions League matches, totalling 65 goals in this period. PSG have kept just 7 clean sheets in the same run of games, 21 of which have seen at least 3 goals scored.
Real Madrid have won a record breaking 13 European Cup / Champions League titles.
Despite their dismal campaign last year, Les Merengues still managed to net 15 goals in their 8 Champions League matches, with 6 of them total 3 goals or more.
Real Madrid have not exactly been unstoppable recently, having drawn 2 of their 4 competitive games so far and have won just 1 of their last 7 away games.
In PSG, Real face a side that have lost just 2 home games since the start of last season.
Team News
World Cup winner Julian Draxler is certainly out of the game as he is still recovering from a foot injury while Kylian Mbappe is ruled out due to a thigh muscle strain.
Brazil international Neymar Jr begins serving his two match ban for his social media rant after PSG’s defeat to Man United, and will also not be in action.
Eden Hazard is in line to make his Champions League debut for Real Madrid but the Spanish side still have Arsensio, Isco and Luca Modric on the treatment table.
Head-to-head
PSG have never defeated Real at the Parc de Princes in four encounter there and have only triumphed once in 7 matches against Les Merengues.
The last time Madrid traveled to face PSG in the French capital, a Zinedine Zidane led Real thrashed the Ligue 1 champions 2-1 on the night and 5-2 on aggregate to complete the rout.
Prediction
Backing Over 2.5 Goals and Both Teams to Score looks a very solid bet on this occasion.
Yeah, and real madrid is a poor club who didn’t spend anything in the last ten years. Talking about fairness in “journalism”