Every football fan across the globe will have an eye on PSG’s Champions League semi-final first-leg clash against Manchester City on Wednesday.
Both teams have come a long way and are aiming to become European champions for the first time. PSG were in the final last year, where they narrowly lost 1-0 to eventual champions Bayern Munich.
However, the Ligue 1 side has been better this season and enacted some revenge after eliminating Bayern in the quarter-final of the competition. Now, though, Manchester City stands between them and a second successive Champions League final.
The Cityzens themselves have also often flattered to deceive in Europe. The last time they reached the semi-final of the Champions League was in the 2015/16 season under Manuel Pellegrini and this is the first time they’ve reached the last four under Pep Guardiola.
That makes the stakes even higher in Wednesday’s match. PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino was in charge of Tottenham when they lost to Liverpool in the 2018 final , and the Argentine is now aiming to lead PSG to the Holy Grail.
Talent-wise, both teams are evenly matched, although Manchester City have been the more consistent side. The Cityzens are fresh from winning the Carabao Cup, having beaten Tottenham in the final on Sunday.
The English side has no injury problems ahead of the game. Kevin De Brunye has also returned to full fitness and is expected to start against PSG.
Meanwhile, the Parisians are currently sweating over the fitness of Kylian Mbappe. The 22-year-old scored twice against Metz over the weekend but limped off in the 87th minute with what looked like a tight injury.
PSG are, however, hopeful that Mbappe will recover in time for the game against Manchester City. Meanwhile, Neymar will also be a major threat for the Ligue 1 side.
Surprisingly, the bookmakers are tipping Guardiola’s side as favourites. As at the time of writing this article, Betika prices Manchester City at 2.15 to win while PSG is priced at 3.30 for a victory. A draw is also priced at 3.75.