PSG welcome debutants Girona to the Parc des Princes
Paris Saint-Germain begin their 2024-25 Champions League campaign against tournament debutants Girona at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night.
While PSG have won sixth Ligue 1 title in the last seven seasons, their Spanish counterparts surprised many by finishing third in La Liga in the previous campaign. Paris Saint-Germain are the only Ligue 1 team who boast a 100% record after four matches, after following up victories over Le Harve, Montpellier and Lille with a 3-1 comeback win at home to Brest last Saturday.
The Champions League has been the holy grail for PSG’s Qatari ownership since they took the reins back in 2011, but Europe’s most prestigious trophy in club football has painfully eluded them – losing the 2019-20 final to Bayern Munich is the closest that they have ever come to glory.
PSG will be keen to make a strong start to the newly-expanded Champions League and will be confident of success against Girona, as they head into Wednesday’s fixture having lost just one of their last 36 home games in the competition since the start of 2012-13 – a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in October 2020.
Both sides enter this contest on the back of contrasting domestic results, and with that in mind – along with the attacking quality that PSG possess – we are backing the hosts to outscore their opponents en route to a comfortable victory.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Man City kick-start campaign with enticing showdown against Inter Milan
Manchester City kick-start their 2024-25 Champions League campaign with an enticing showdown against Serie A champions Inter Milan at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.
The two teams butt heads for the first time since the 2023 Champions League final – their only previous European encounter – when Rodri scored the decisive goal in a narrow 1-0 victory in Istanbul to help the Citizens complete a historic treble.
Man City are the only Premier League team who boast a 100% record after four matches, but their perfect start to the new campaign was put to the test by a cohesive, hard-working Brentford side on Saturday. But Haaland’s double turned the contest on its head just after the half-hour mark, increasing his impressive goal tally for the season to nine – breaking a new Premier League record in the process – as well as moving him onto 99 goals for Man City in just 103 games across all competitions.
Pep Guardiola‘s side have now extended their exceptional unbeaten record at the Etihad to 46 games (W39 D7) and are now gearing up for three more home fixtures across three different competitions in the space of just seven days, following up Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Inter with Premier League and EFL Cup games versus Arsenal and Watford respectively.
Man City will be keen to make a strong start in the newly-expanded Champions League and secure a statement win over Inter.
The Citizens have been conceding goals in recent weeks which bodes well for Inter, but Guardiola’s men have had Haaland to thank for banging in the goals and if his red-hot form in the final third continues on Wednesday, the hosts should ultimately fine a way to prevail.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Club Brugge, Borussia Dortmund faceoff in champs league new format
The new era of the Champions League with a new format is set to begin. In the first round, one of the most interesting games will be between Club Brugge and Borussia Dortmund. The game will take place at Jan Breydel Stadion in Brugge.
Last year’s Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund begin this year’s competition on the road against Club Brugge on Wednesday.
Much has happened at Borussia Dortmund over the summer, with Nuri Sahin replacing Edin Terzic as head coach and the squad overhauled. Mats Hummels, Marco Reus and Niclas Füllkrug are all gone, while the likes of Waldemar Anton, Pascal Gross and Serhou Guirassy have arrived.
There has been some criticism of the way Dortmund have played under Sahin so far, but his team put in a strong performance with a 4-2 win over Heidenheim on Friday to move up to second place in the Bundesliga with seven points.
Their opponents, Club Brugge, have steadied the ship after a disappointing start to the season and have won their last four games, with their most recent victory a 3-0 away win over Kortrijk.
The two teams last met in the 2020 edition of the Champions League, where Dortmund won both matches 3-0.
Borussia Dortmund have more recent European pedigree than Club Brugge so it is no surprise that they start this match as the favourites.
Credit: bulinews.com
Bottom-ranked Celtic and Slovan Bratislava clash today
The bottom-ranked side from pot three faces the top-ranked club from pot four on matchday one of the Champions League on Wednesday, when Celtic host Slovan Bratislava.
This will be the first meeting between the sides in over six decades, and Celtic will look for a repeat of their two 1-0 wins over Slovan in the Cup Winners’ Cup back in the 1960s.
Like most Scottish clubs in recent times, apart from Rangers’ run to the Europa League final in 2022, Celtic have seriously struggled to compete in Europe, especially in the Champions League.
Their last five qualifications for the group stage all ended in immediate elimination, and they have not progressed past the last 16 since a quarter-final defeat to Real Madrid in 1980.
Starting poorly has been the big issue, as remarkably, Celtic have never won the opening game of a Champions League campaign, drawing two and losing 10.
Having won all five of their league games so far without conceding this season though, Brendan Rodgers‘s side should come into this winnable encounter with plenty of confidence.
Both sides have players in offensive areas capable of winning them the game in what could be an open, entertaining encounter.
Celtic have been perfect domestically so far, but their European adventures have often exposed their shortcoming quite brutally, and this will not be an easy match despite their opponent’s inexperience at this level.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
League Stage Fixtures
Bologna 17:45 Shakhtar Donetsk
Sparta Prague 17:45 Red Bull Salzburg
Celtic 20:00 Slovan Bratislava
Club Brugge 20:00 Borussia Dortmund
