This Wednesday, September 9, Paris Saint-Germain faces Slovan Bratislava at the Parc des Princes (kick-off at 9 PM, CET) in Matchday 1 of the 2026-2027 Champions League. As before every match, here is a look at the Parisians’ opponents.
Slovan Bratislava’s situation –
A major club in Slovakia, Slovan Bratislava experienced a somewhat difficult period during the 2010s, struggling to retain the league title. However, they have dominated since 2019, winning the championship consecutively in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. On the other hand, they have not won the domestic cup since 2021.
On the European stage, their victory in the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1969 is now a distant memory. In recent years, Slovan Bratislava has primarily played in the Europa Conference League, reaching the Round of 16 at best. The Slovak club also played in the Champions League league phase after navigating four qualifying rounds; they finished 35th, suffering defeats in every match against Celtic Glasgow (1-5), Manchester City (0-4), Girona (0-2), Dinamo Zagreb (1-4), AC Milan (2-3), Atlético Madrid (1-3), Stuttgart (1-3), and Bayern Munich (1-3).
The team has had a somewhat rocky start to the league season, coinciding with their Champions League qualifying matches. Slovan Bratislava has suffered two consecutive defeats and sits in fourth place, with a game in hand. It has been a challenging beginning for manager Yaya Touré, who arrived this summer for his first head-coaching role following a remarkable career as a midfielder—most notably with Manchester City and FC Barcelona.
The 2026 summer transfer window –
Source: Transfermarkt.
Departures:
Arrivals:
Key statistics –
This season, Slovan Bratislava boasts the third-best attack in the Slovak league with 15 goals scored (league leaders Dunajská Streda have 19, while bottom-placed Ružomberok have 5) and the second-best defense, having conceded 5 goals (Dunajská Streda have the best defense with 2 goals conceded, while bottom-placed Banská Bystrica have conceded 18).
Slovan Bratislava’s top scorer is Manasse Kianga (a 24-year-old forward); with 3 goals, he ranks 17th in the league (the Niké Liga’s leading scorer is Ammar Ramadan with 6 goals).
Slovan Bratislava’s last 5 matches –
Only Brest’s possession is shown, and Brest’s shots are listed first (when data is available).
22/08/2026 (League) – FC Kosice/Slovan Bratislava: 1-2. Formation: 3-5-2.
26/08/2026 (Champions League Play-off) – NK Celje (down to 10 men in the 120th minute)/Slovan Bratislava: 1-2 (1-1, then extra time). Formation: 4-2-3-1. 40% possession. 11 shots (7 on target) vs. 16 shots (7 on target).
30/08/2026 (League) – Slovan Bratislava/Michalovce: 1-2. Formation: 4-1-4-1. 79% possession. 20 shots (3 on target) vs. 6 shots (4 on target).
02/09/2026 (Slovak Cup) – Slovan Nitra-Chrenova vs. Slovan Bratislava: 0-8. 78% possession. 24 shots (19 on target) vs. 4 shots (3 on target).
05/09/2026 (championship) – Dunajska Streda/Slovan Bratislava: 2-0. In 4-2-3-1. 56% possession. 8 shots against 18 shots.
Probable 4-3-3 lineup:
Camara – Sporar – Barseghian
Ibrahim – Pokorny – Martinez
Cruz – Markovic – Bajric – Blackman
Takac
Substitutes : Popovic, Kozlovsky, Wimmer, Gajdos, Ignatenko, Matsuoka, Mustafic, Cerepkai, Marcelli, Maros, Yirajang.
Slovan Bratislava’s playing style.
Under coach Yaya Touré, the Slovak side aims to play proactive, attacking football. This aligns with their status in the league, where they need to create chances and handle the pressure of being the team to beat. Naturally, some tactical adjustments are to be expected against PSG—a unique opponent against whom maintaining possession is extremely difficult. A low block and counter-attacking approach are likely, especially given that Slovan Bratislava did not have the majority of possession against NK Celje during the qualifiers. That said, the coach might still attempt a surprise tactical move.
