The UEFA Champions League kicks off at Parc des Princes as Paris Saint-Germain faces Borussia Dortmund in Group F. Alongside Milan and Newcastle United, the pressure is on from the very first game with little room for error. PSG welcomes their fourth head coach in as many editions, with Luis Enrique taking the reins after Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, and Christophe Galtier.
In 2020, PSG and Dortmund clashed when the Ligue 1 champions fell short in the final against Bayern Munich. Last season, Dortmund eliminated PSG, setting the stage for this summer’s major overhaul. PSG suffered a 3-2 loss at home to OGC Nice last week, while Dortmund secured a 4-2 victory against Freiburg. Both teams are currently off the pace in the early title race.
Speaking at Monday’s press conference, Luis Enrique stated, “Soccer is a wonderful sport because every result is possible.” He emphasized the team’s ambition and determination to go as far as possible in the competition.
“The Nice game has nothing to do with the Dortmund game — they are two separate competitions,” Enrique added. “We have a lot of room for improvement, but there are things that we are already doing well.”
“To win the Champions League, you need a great team,” he continued. “Every player needs to be ready to play and to step onto the pitch. You need to be together as a team and humble. You need to want to win and to help the team.”
Here are the key details for the match:
Match Details:
- Date: Tuesday, September 19
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Parc des Princes, Paris, France
- Watch: Paramount+
- Odds: PSG -143; Draw: +333; Dortmund +320
Team News:
PSG:
- Kylian Mbappe continues his excellent early-season form.
- Marco Asensio, Nuno Mendes, and Presnel Kimpembe remain sidelined.
- Nordi Mukiele and Fabian Ruiz are uncertain for the match.
- Lee Kang In is set to depart for the Asian Games with South Korea.
- Marquinhos and Manuel Ugarte are expected to start.
Potential PSG XI: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar, Hernandez; Zaire-Emery, Ugarte, Vitinha; Dembele, Kolo Muani, Mbappe.
Dortmund:
- Thomas Meunier and Mateu Morey are unavailable.
- Julien Duranville is not yet fully fit.
- Gregor Kobel, Julian Ryerson, and Niclas Fullkrug featured against Freiburg.
- Gio Reyna is still recovering.
- Marius Wolf and Ramy Bensebaini are likely to start.
Potential Dortmund XI: Kobel; Wolf, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Sabitzer, Can, Brandt; Malen, Haller, Reus.
Prediction:
Both PSG and Dortmund are eager for a winning start. Despite PSG’s defensive concerns against Nice, Luis Enrique is expected to tighten things up. This should be enough for the French giants to secure a victorious start. Prediction: PSG 2, Dortmund 1.
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