Matchday seven of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) presents some fascinating matchups, but there are arguably none larger than this ‘El Cashico’ between two of the wealthiest clubs in the globe. Wealth hasn’t been able to secure PSG triumph in this tournament as they’re still yet to claim it, and they’ve got a challenge on their hands to even reach the elimination stages this season, as they enter this contest outside the top-24.
This is the one accolade the Parisians are eager to lay their hands on, but just one success from their last seven continental fixtures against Manchester City indicates that their dreams of progressing will take another blow here (D2, L4). Nine victories from their last 12 home matches in all tournaments would imply that won’t be the situation (D2, L1), but three losses from their last five UCL home outings suggest that they falter against Europe’s best (W1, D1).
City begin this round just three ranks above PSG and have been facing comparable difficulties. They’re without a triumph in their last three UCL fixtures (D1, L2) and haven’t recorded a longer winless streak in this event in the same campaign since 2014, but if the 2022/23 titleholders are going to emulate that achievement, they’ll need to do it the hard way as they’re all but guaranteed to forgo a direct route to the last 16.
Incredibly, City could still yet be eliminated from the tournament at the initial stage, a round they haven’t exited at since 2012/13. An away fixture certainly doesn’t provide them much optimism of avoiding the bottom-12 here considering they’ve been defeated in their last two UCL road games by multiple-goal margins, while Pep Guardiola’s two personal away encounters against a Luis Enrique-led team both concluded in 3+ goal margin losses ‘to nil.’
Key duel: Ahead of matchday seven, no footballer in the UCL had executed more passes than PSG’s Marquinhos’ 525, giving him an average of 88 per contest. He’ll be more concerned about restraining Erling Haaland here than distributing, as the Norwegian netted a second-half double the last time he faced the Brazilian.
Noteworthy stat: Only two of PSG’s last eight UCL fixtures featured both sides finding the net.
