The 2023-24 edition of the UEFA Champions League gets underway on Tuesday, with Paris Saint-Germain hosting Borussia Dortmund in a standout curtain-raiser.
Last season, PSG won yet another Ligue 1 title to book their place in the UCL, while Dortmund finished second in the Bundesliga to punch their ticket to the competition.
Man of the Match for Mats 🤩 pic.twitter.com/4mx2pkKveZ— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) September 17, 2023
Man of the Match for Mats 🤩 pic.twitter.com/4mx2pkKveZ
Can the perennial French champions kick-start their Champions League campaign with a win? Or will the German underachievers upset the odds in Paris?
PSG head into Tuesday’s clash on the back of a 3-2 defeat against Nice, despite racking up 70% possession and 12 shots at the Parc des Princes on Friday.
In fact, Luis Enrique’s side have made an inconsistent start to the Ligue 1 season, recording two wins, two draws and one loss so far.
As a result, PSG find themselves fifth in Ligue 1 after five matches, with table-topping Monaco, Brest, Marseille and Nice all above Les Parisiens in the standings.
It is also worth noting that PSG have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their previous eight Champions League clashes, suggesting that they will likely concede on Tuesday.
Borussia Dortmund, on the other hand, claimed a 4-2 victory over Freiburg last time out, with veteran centre-back Mats Hummels bagging a brace.
BVB remain unbeaten in the Bundesliga after four matches, having picked up two wins and two draws, although they find themselves seventh in the table as a result.
Dortmund can take confidence from the fact that they have lost just one of their last six Champions League encounters.
That said, BVB have failed to make it past the UCL quarter-finals since 2012-13, when they suffered a 2-1 defeat against arch-rivals Bayern Munich in the final.
Head-to-head: PSG and Dortmund have faced each other on four occasions in European competition since 2010, each picking up one victory.
Following a couple of draws in 2010, Paris Saint-Germain claimed a 3-2 aggregate win over Dortmund in the last 16 back in 2020.
Team news: PSG are currently without numerous players due to injury, including Marco Asensio, Presnel Kimpembe, Lee King-in, Alexandre Letellier, Nori Mukiele, Nuno Mendes, Fabian Ruiz and Sergio Rico.
As for Borussia Dortmund, the injured trio Julian Duranville, Thomas Meunier and Mateu Morey Bauza will miss Tuesday’s trip to the French capital.
With AC Milan and Newcastle United also bidding to advance from Group F, PSG and Dortmund will both be eager to get off to a strong start.
Forebet predicts that Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund will serve up a high-scoring draw on Tuesday, with both teams netting over 1.5 goals.