New Delhi: The UEFA Champions League 2024/25 will feature the first round of matches this week as Paris Saint-German locks horns with the debutant Girona in an intriguing encounter at the Parc des Princes tonight. PSG have won the sixth Ligue 1 title in the last seven seasons while their rivals Girona have surprised many by finishing third in La Liga in the previous campaign.
PSG boasts a 100% record after four matches after following up victories over Le Harve, Montpellier, LOSC Lille, and a 3-1 comeback win over Breast at home last Sunday.
Romain Del Castillo’s penalty kick put Luis Enrique’s team behind early in the half-hour mark but Les Parisiens rallied with goals with Fabian Ruiz netting in between two goals from Ousmane Dembele to make sure they ended up with all three points.
PSG are already boasting an impressive +13 goal difference in the French top flight and are now all set for a busy fixture schedule of six games within 19 days across all competitions including the first two Champions League matches against Girona and Arsenal.
Since PSG’s Qatari ownership took over in 2011, the Champions League has been the ultimate goal. However, they have failed to win Europe’s most coveted club football trophy, and the only time they came closer to winning the prestigious trophy was back in 2019-20 but they, unfortunately, lost to Bayern Munich.
Girona, on the other hand, after enjoying a historic La Liga campaign last season they have made a mixed start to the new season with two wins, one draw, and two losses in their opening five matches.
The Blanquivermells bounced back from a sluggish start to the season with emphatic victories over Osasuna and Sevilla winning by a combined score of 6-0. However, they couldn’t maintain that momentum following the international break, suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat to league leaders and Catalan rivals Barcelona on Sunday.
Barcelona took control early at the Estadi Montilivi, with Lamine Yamal scoring twice, and further goals from Dani Olmo and Pedri cementing their dominance. Girona’s veteran striker Christian Stuani managed to salvage a late consolation goal 10 minutes from time.
The loss to Barca marked Girona’s heaviest home defeat since Michel took over as head coach in 2021 but he will be eager to prevent his players from dwelling on the result. Instead, he will aim to inspire them ahead of their historic Champions League debut tonight.
Despite being considered underdogs in this expanded Champions League campaign, Girona can draw confidence from past Spanish debutants in the competition. Notably, Villarreal (2005-06), Sevilla (2007-08), and Malaga (2012-13) all managed to reach the knockout stages in their first appearances.
PSG will be keen to make a strong start but before that take a look at which team holds the upper hand over the other.
Team News.
In PSG’s camp, several key players will be absent ahead of their upcoming clash. Goncalo Ramos (ankle), Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles), and Lucas Hernandez (ACL) are all sidelined with long-term injuries while first-choice goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is also unavailable due to a thigh injury sustained in the recent win over Brest. As a result, summer signing Matvey Safonov is expected to make his debut between the posts for PSG.
In midfield, doubts linger over the fitness of Warren Zaire-Emery (calf) and Vitinha (ankle), both of whom missed the Brest game and will be assessed prior to kickoff. Should they be unavailable, Lee Kang-in, Fabian Ruiz, and Joao Neves are likely to retain their spots in the starting lineup.
Luis Enrique may also consider making changes in defense, with Marquinhos and William Pacho potentially being recalled in place of Milan Skriniar and Lucas Beraldo. In attack, PSG’s leading scorer this season Bradley Barcola could feature alongside Ousmane Dembele and either Marco Asensio or Randal Kolo Muani.
In Girona’s camp, there will also be a number of absentees as Ricard Artero (ankle) and Jastin (shoulder) remain unavailable due to injuries while Yangel Herrera is a doubt after missing the defeat against Barcelona with an adductor problem.
Oriol Romeu, who was ineligible to face his parent club Barcelona last time out, is available again and is expected to return to the starting lineup. He will likely join Ivan Martin and 19-year-old Jhon Solis in a three-man midfield with Donny van de Beek set to provide cover from the bench.
In attack, Abel Ruiz is set to lead the line as the central striker ahead of fellow new signing Bojan Miovski and veteran Cristhian Stuani. The competition for starting positions on the flanks is fierce with Portu, Bryan Gil, Viktor Tsygankov, and Arnaut Danjuma all in contention for starting roles.
Head-to-Head
Paris Saint-German and Girona have never crossed paths in the UEFA Champions League. PSG will need to adapt to a formidable new opponent tonight. PSG have maintained a winning streak against six of their last seven new opponents in the Champions League. They only suffered a 4-0 defeat in their previous such game against Newcastle United in the last season.
PSG has proven to be an exceptionally strong team when playing at home in the UEFA Champions League. Out of the last 28 teams that have faced them on their home turf, only one team i.e. Manchester United have come away with a 3-1 victory in March 2019.
Since the 2012-13 season, PSG has maintained this dominant record and suffered just one defeat in 36 home matches during the group stages of the competition. This impressive performance underscores their formidable presence at the Parc des Princes.
Predicted lineup
Paris Saint-German: Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Lee, Ruiz, Neves; Dembele, Kolo Muani, Barcola
Girona: Gazzaniga; Frances, Lopez, Blind, Gutierrez; Martin, Romeu, Solis; Tsygankov, Ruiz, Danjuma
When, where, and how to watch the Paris Saint-German vs Girona match in India?
The PSG vs Girona UEFA Champions League 2024/25 match will be telecast live on Sony Sports Network in India. Fans can tune into the Sony Sports Ten 5 at 12:30 am to catch the action. Live streaming of the Champions League 2024/25 will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.
Match Prediction
PSG have an excellent squad at their disposal and have already made a good start to their league campaign. In recent years, they have performed well in Europe and will look to start their Champions League campaign on a positive note.
Girona have never played a game in the UEFA Champions League and will be up against goal-hungry PSG in their opening fixture. The hosts possess a strong attacking quality and are expected to outscore their debutant opponents to a comfortable victory.
Final Scoreline: Paris Saint-German 3-1 Girona
Paris Saint-Germa and Girona will meet at the Parc des Princes tonight. But before the action kicks off, let’s examine which team has the upper hand over the other. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
