The Champions League is taking centre stage this week and Paris Saint Germain will be hosting the Italian giants AC Milan at Parc des Princes on Thursday. It will be after a decade that these two teams will come face-to-face and a lot has changed in both camps in this decade.
The start of the Champions League was positive as PSG scored a win against Borussia Dortmund but the defeat against Newcastle in the last fixture will definitely be a major setback for the hosts.
AC Milan is in a desperate situation to score a win at the group stage as they have witnessed two consecutive draws. To save themselves from getting eliminated from the Champions League, an away will be of huge help.
Hakimi has scored thrice in the last five fixtures and has 20% shots on target in the ongoing season of club football.
The betting tip is...
Achraf Hakimi to score a goal
58 %
42 %
Luis Enrique’s appointment has not shown its effect in the new season for Paris Saint Germain. Their previous loss against Newcastle by 4-1 in the Champions League has raised a lot of questions and the club has shown its struggles in the French League as well.
However, a clean sheet against Borrusia Dortmund was a good start for the club and Enrique can motivate his boys by highlighting the same in the dressing room.
With 70% possession in the new season, PSG has shown signs of controlling the ball. They also have 5.38% shots on target this season and they carry an average of scoring 2 goals per match.
One good news for the team management is that PSG’s defence is making noise in the ongoing season. They did commit massive faults against Newcastle but in the league fixtures, PSG has controlled the game with their tight defence.
Kylian Mbappe will be in the spotlight as he is in positive form this year as well. Mbappe has scored 8 goals this season and will be eyeing to improve the number. Achraf Hakimi has stepped up his game by scoring 4 goals and providing 2 assists in the season.
Sergio Rico (Brain haemorrhage), Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles tendon rupture), Marco Asensio (Unknown Injury) and Nuno Mendes (Hamstring Injury) are out of action because of their respective injuries.
Predicted Lineup: Donnarumma (GK), Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar, Hernandez, Vitinha, Pereira, Zaire-Emery, Dembele, Ramos & Mbappe
Rossoneri have shown their struggles with their attack in the Champions League. They are currently in the third spot in the point table of Group F with no goals conceded and scored.
A bag of mixed performances for Milan has caused major problems for the team as they are in desperate need of a win in the European competition.
With 54.3% of possession in the ongoing season, Milan has on average 5 shots on target with an average of 1.6 goals per match.
However, their defence is making headlines with three clean sheets in the Serie A. Goal Keeper Mike Maignan is on fire with 16 saves as of now and only 7 goals conceded.
Olivier Giroud will be the primary player as he has 4 goals and 3 assists on his name in the current season. His partner Rafael Leao has 3 goals and 3 assists on his name. The duo will be eying to score for Milan and give stability to Milan’s future in the Champions League.
AC Milan will be without the services of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Rade Krunic, Mattia Caldara, Pierre Kalulu and Ismael Bennacer because of their respective injuries.
Predicted Lineup: Maignan – Calabria, Thiaw, Tomori, Hernandez – Musah, Reijnders, Pobega – Pulisic, Leao, Giroud
According to the head-to-head stats of the last 5 matches between the two clubs, AC Milan has an edge with three wins and the other two fixtures have ended up in a draw.
However, PSG has improved its attack and has a well-balanced defence. We are in for a thrilling fixture and we predict a draw between the two teams.
