Key occasions
The groups!
PSG: Donnarumma, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Neves, Fabian, Lee, Doue, Barcola.
Subs: Safonov, Tenas, Kimpembe, Goncalo Ramos, Dembele, Asensio, Hernandez, Mayulu, Zaire Emery, Lucas Beraldo, Zague, Tape.
Manchester Metropolis: Ederson, Matheus Nunes, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Silva, Kovacic, Foden, De Bruyne, Savio, Haaland.
Subs: Ortega, Carson, Stones, Grealish, Gundogan, Wright, Alleyne, O’Reilly, Lewis, McAtee.
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland)
Ought to point out that Brest, the shock staff of this league part, are at present 2-0 down away at Shakhtar in one of many early kick-offs. Half-time there. It could be that the French aspect should accept a play-off, fairly than the highest eight.
Elsewhere, RB Leipzig lead Sporting 1-0. The Portuguese aspect proceed to wrestle following the departure of Ruben Amorim to Manchester United, who proceed to wrestle following the departure of Erik ten Hag, who struggled at Previous Traffor … you get the gist.
Fábian Ruiz, who scored the winner in PSG’s 2-1 comback win at Lens on the weekend, is one among two PSG gamers that may miss the following (and last) league part match if he’s booked tonight, Nuno Mendes is the opposite. The Portuguese wing-back is so essential in Luis Enrique’s most popular 3-4-3 formation, so it’s essential that he stays out of the referee’s ebook tonight, from a PSG perspective.
In case you haven’t been following, PSG are in fairly good kind domestically, successful six of the final seven in all competitions together with essential league wins over Lyon, Monaco and Lens. Meaning the Parisians are 9 factors away from second-placed Marseille with simply over half the season completed.
The Champions League has been a distinct story altogether, although. Wins over Girona and Salzburg have been overshadowed by defeats to Arsenal, Atlético, Bayern and a house draw to PSV. They’re the lowest-ranked French staff within the competitors by a distance, with Brest, Monaco and Lille sitting ninth, tenth and eleventh respectively. This was a pleasant preview piece by Raphaël Jucobin that outlines how effectively Ligue 1 groups have completed within the Champions League this season, PSG apart.
Preamble
What a sport that is. The brand new format was designed to make the primary stage of the Champions League extra thrilling, and whereas we are able to’t but decisively choose if this has been a greater thought than conserving the ol’ group phases till the league part reaches its conclusion, 2024-25 definitely has offered loads of shocks, and created extra jeopardy for the so-called larger groups, significantly as a result of mentioned groups are assembly earlier within the competitors.
With PSG in twenty sixth out of 36 groups and Manchester Metropolis twenty fourth with simply two video games left within the league part, each groups have already mentioned goodbye to their possibilities of computerized qualification (the highest eight) to the final 16. If one staff loses tonight, there may be additionally a chance that they won’t even make the play-off spherical (ending within the high 24 after eight video games). If PSG and Metropolis draw tonight and outcomes go towards them, we may find yourself within the scenario the place neither aspect make it to a play-off. However there may be loads of soccer but to be performed earlier than that.
Neither supervisor is below any illusions concerning the precarity of the scenario. “I don’t know what number of factors we are going to want [from the final two games]”, mentioned Metropolis supervisor Pep Guardiola this week. “Six factors will likely be mathematically [sure], however possibly 4, possibly three”.
In fact, this is only one of 9 Champions League video games tonight. RB Leipzig v Sporting and Shakhtar v Brest are each effectively underway, whereas the opposite six video games (under) will kick off at 8pm GMT. You’ll be able to comply with these half dozen in our clockwatch with Simon Burnton.
Milan v Girona
Arsenal v Dinamo Zagreb
Celtic v Younger Boys
Feyenoord v Bayern
Actual Madrid v RB Salzburg
Sparta Prague v Internazionale
This kick-off is at 8pm GMT, with groups due at 7pm.
PLEASE JOIN ME. PLEASE.
Supply hyperlink
