When Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain meet at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday (November 25) at 2 a.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time), both teams will have a chance to advance to the Round of 16 in the Champions League 2021-2022 season. The winner of the Man City vs PSG match will proceed to the first knockout round of the competition. Manchester City now lead the standings with nine points, followed by PSG, Club Brugge, and RB Leipzig. This is an important clash in group A in this context. Let's take a look at this match's preview and team news.
Man City vs PSG: Potential Team Lineups
The biggest news in Man City's camp is that star player Kevin de Bruyne has been diagnosed with covid-19 and will miss the match against PSG. Spanish forward Ferran Torres will also miss the match due to a foot injury he acquired during the Nations League. Meanwhile, Jack Grealish is also in doubt after suffering an injury during the international break.
Predicted Playing XI (Man City):
Ederson Moraes (GK), Kyle Walker (RB), John Stones (CB), Ruben Dias (CB), Joao Cancelo (LB), Rodri (DM), Bernardo Silva (CM), Ilkay Gundogan (CM), Riyad Mahrez (RW), Phil Foden (LW), Gabriel Jesus (FW).
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Sergio Ramos is still out with an injury, but he has lately started full training, which is good news for PSG. However, Ramos is unlikely to participate in this match. The Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is suffering from gastroenteritis, but he is expected to be healthy in time. Injuries have also struck Julian Draxler and Rafinha. As a result, they might not be available for this game. Defender Presnel Kimpembe will also miss the trip due to injury.
Predicted Playing XI (PSG):
Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK), Achraf Hakimi (RB), Marquinhos (CB), Thilo Kehrer (CB), Juan Bernat (LB), Marco Verratti (CM), Leandro Paredes (CM), Ander Herrera (CM), Lionel Messi (RW), Neymar (LW), Kylian Mbappe (FW).
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Head-to-Head: Manchester City vs Paris Saint-Germain
Both teams have met six times, with Manchester City maintaining a three-win advantage in the head-to-head battle. PSG have won two games thus far, with one match ending in a stalemate.
Manchester City have won all of their games against PSG in the UEFA Champions League, while PSG have won a Europa League match and the first-leg meeting between these two sides in the Champions League 2021-2022 group stage.
PSG have defeated Man City once at the Etihad Stadium. On the other side, Man City have won two matches against PSG at their home ground.
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Manchester City vs Paris Saint-Germain match prediction
Manchester City are in excellent form, having won their past two Premier League games against Manchester United and Everton. Pep Guardiola’s team has all it takes to shock the opponent's defense. All they have to do now is execute their strategy properly.
PSG have the best offensive trio in the world. Therefore Manchester City may not want to risk losing possession of the ball in this match. Manchester City's best formation could be 4-3-3, although they can also play 3-4-3 if necessary. Manchester City do not want to lose to one of their big Champions League opponents for the second time in the group stage. As a result, they may be able to tighten up the defense in this encounter.
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On the other hand, PSG have a plethora of attacking options, but they may prefer to play it safe in this match because Manchester City are a fierce rival in their own backyard. Coach Mauricio Pochettino does not want to lose this game since it may jeopardize their chances of reaching the Champions League's Round of 16 stage. As a result, PSG's primary strategy might be to counter-attack. If that happens, Manchester City may have a higher percentage of ball possession than PSG.
The 4-3-3 configuration might be PSG's preferred formation. They may use a 4-2-3-1 formation for additional defensive stability.
Prediction: Man City 3-3 PSG
Verdict
Paris Saint-Germain have the most fearsome lineup in the world. However, playing at Etihad Stadium away from home would be difficult for them. Man City will make it difficult for them in the attacking half. Furthermore, they have the tendency to create a big hole in the middle when they attack.
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Manchester City are one of Europe's top teams and clearly one of the favorites to win the Champions League in the 2021-2022 season. Mauricio Pochettino's side will put Pep Guardiola's side under a lot of strain in this Man City vs PSG match.