After their weekend exploits in London, Manchester City will turn their attention to the UEFA Champions League as they travel to France to face Paris Saint-Germain in their second group game of the 2021/22 UCL campaign.
Venue: Parc des Princes
Key Statistics
PSG are unbeaten in their last nine games in all competitions (W8, D1).
They have failed to score only once in their last 15 competitive games.
Manchester City are unbeaten in their last seven games (W6, D1).
They have kept two consecutive away clean sheets.
Head to head
Both sides have met five times in the past, with Manchester City having the upper hand. The English side have won three of the head-to-head meetings while PSG have no win in this tie (D2).
Latest Performances
PSG: W-W-W-D-W-W (Goals for 13, Goals against 3)
Manchester City: W-W-D-W-W-W (Goals for 19, Goals against 4)
PSG
After a disappointing draw with Club Brugge in their opening group game, Lionel Messi and co. will hope to get their Champions League campaign going when they welcome Man City to Paris.
The French giants are one of the favourites for this year’s UCL trophy after the acquisition of Lionel Messi and experienced Champions League winners like Sergio Ramos and Giorgino Wijnaldum. They are alongside their rivals expected to qualify from this group ahead of RB Leipzig and Club Brugge.
But their opening group game was disappointing as they were held to a 1-1 draw by an organised Club Brugge side. Their goal in this match will be to pick up all three points and also avenge their last year’s UCL semi-final elimination at the hands of Man City.
They head into this game unbeaten in nine games despite their mounting off-field issues.
Lionel Messi will face a late fitness test to find out his availability for this match after sitting out the last two games due to a knee injury. But Sergio Ramos, Marco Verratti, Ángel di María, Layvin Kurzawa, Juan Bernat, and Colin Dagba are all doubtful due to injuries, and are unlikely to be available for this game.
Messi has trained with the team and could be available for selection.
Possible PSG starting line-ups
Keylor Navas; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Presnel Kimpembe, Nuno Mendes; Idrissa Gueye, Leandro Paredes, Ander Herrera; Julian Draxler, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe.
Unavailable
Ramos (thigh), Di María (suspended)
Doubtful: Messi (knee), Verratti (knee)
Manchester City
Manchester City travel to Paris fresh from an impressive one-nil win over Chelsea at the weekend.
After the disappointing end to last year’s UCL campaign, Pep Guardiola’s side began this year’s edition with a 6-3 thumping of German side RB Leipzig in their opening group game. They will hope to continue on that note when they face PSG.
The ‘Cityzens’ head into this game with three wins from their last four games and with a record of 14 goals in their previous five games.
Despite the disappointment of their draw with Southampton three games ago, they have proved that on their day, they can beat any team. They possess the quality to do so and will fancy their chances of picking up three points against this team who are yet to defeat them in a competitive game.
Ayermic Laporte was back to the side in their last game against Chelsea, but Ilkay Gundogan and Oleksandr Zinchenko remain sidelined with knocks. Meanwhile, Benjamin Mendy continues his spell away from the side after he was suspended by the club following an ongoing investigation of rape and sexual assault.
He [Grealish] is adapting to the way we play, it’s still early. The coach is helping, as is the team. He’s playing in a lot of games which is easy. It’s a bit different to me, I didn’t play in all the games, even if you do that it’s difficult. Jack’s doing well, playing well and helping the team.
I don’t know this amount of quality, I don’t know how to stop them; they [PSG front three] are so good. Their talent to control [the game], they are so difficult [to play against]. You have to defend well without the ball and let them run when we have the ball. They are exceptional players, everyone knows it, all of them are so good. Individually and they combine so well.
Pep Guardiola, Manchester City Manager
Possible Manchester City starting line-ups
Ederson, Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne; Jack Grealish, Ferran Torres, Raheem Sterling.
Unavailable
Gündoğan (knock), Zinchenko (calf)
Probability
PSG win : Draw : Manchester City win :: 31% : 26% : 43%
Teams to score total 3 goals or more : 60%
Prediction
Manchester City have an excellent record against PSG and seems to have the keys to unlock their defence whenever they meet. But PSG possesses a good attack and might be able to call upon a fit-again Messi.
However, reported infighting between the PSG star players and a porous defence means that Man City have the upper hand in this tie.
