Paris Saint-Germain faces Villarreal this Tuesday night at 9 p.m., at the Estadio de la Cerámica in Spain, during the 4th matchday of the Champions League group stage. Leading the standings with three wins in three matches, the Parisian club aims for another victory to consolidate its top position. Luis Enrique will however have to manage without four key starters: Ousmane Dembélé, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, all injured.
Three wins, 14 goals: PSG dominates the Champions League
Two-time reigning European champions, PSG has started its European campaign perfectly. After crushing Slovan Bratislava (6-1) at Parc des Princes, the Parisians dominated Manchester City on their turf (4-2), before defeating FC Barcelona (4-2).
With nine points and 14 goals scored in three matches, Paris occupies the top spot in the overall standings, ahead of the other teams competing in the tournament. A win tonight would bring their total to 12 points and bring them closer to direct qualification for the round of 16, reserved for the top eight teams after eight matchdays.
PSG also arrives in Spain after winning its last two Ligue 1 matches, against Lyon (2-0), then at Le Havre’s stadium (5-1), notably with a hat-trick from Achraf Hakimi.
Dembélé, Marquinhos, Mendes, and Kvaratskhelia unavailable
For this trip, Luis Enrique selected a squad of 21 players, missing four key players. Ousmane Dembélé, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are all unavailable. The Georgian notably suffers from a serious knee injury, while the other three continue their recovery.
The Spanish coach can nevertheless count on Désiré Doué, Vitinha, João Neves, Fabian Ruiz, Achraf Hakimi, Willian Pacho, and Warren Zaïre-Emery. Ferran Torres, Maghnes Akliouche, Mathis Godts, and Senny Mayulu are also part of the group.
Young defender David Boly, aged 17, was also called up after making his Ligue 1 debut last Friday against Le Havre.
Luis Enrique warns his players
Present at the press conference on Monday, Luis Enrique urged his players not to rest on their three initial European wins. The Parisian coach notably warned: “No past result matters for Tuesday’s match.”
The Spanish technician also highlighted Villarreal’s qualities, particularly their desire to keep possession and impose their game. He recalled that his team finished 11th in the group stage last season despite a strong start, and that this time he aims to secure direct qualification for the round of 16.
Villarreal-PSG: what time and on which channel?
Kickoff for Villarreal-PSG will be this Tuesday at 9 p.m., at the Estadio de la Cerámica, a stadium with about 23,500 seats. The match will be refereed by German Felix Zwayer.
The match will be broadcast live and exclusively on Canal+ Foot. Official lineups for both teams will be announced about one hour before kickoff.
After this trip to Spain, PSG will return to the Champions League on Wednesday, November 25, hosting AS Roma at Parc des Princes, before traveling to Aston Villa on December 8.
Respond to the article
Be the first to comment on this article.