Here’s our saga. The 5 good reasons to follow a match (with some adaptations). We’ll be taking a look at the most attractive things to do before each match, with a mixture of seriousness and humour. Mind you, this is by no means an exhaustive tour of the subject. We continue here with the match between Paris Saint-Germain (19th) and PSV Eindhoven (24th) at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, as part of Matchday 3 of the Champions League 2024-2025 (kick-off 9pm).
5. Champions League returns to the Parc des Princes
This alone should encourage you to tune in to watch your favorite competition, with your favorite club. As for PSG, it’s true that the excitement leading up to the Champions League is intense. This is due to the constant hope that the team will win the competition. At the Parc des Princes, thrills and spills are guaranteed. We’re expecting a great encounter.
4. A new formula, multiple opponents
8 matches, 8 different teams and, above all, teams that PSG is not used to playing.PSV Eindhoven is a team that PSG hasn’t played very often, and it’s an attraction in itself to host one of the best teams in the Netherlands.
There’s also the underlying argument about the place of championships in the world of soccer. Eredivisiee is seen as a “small” league, while Ligue 1 is seen as a league below the best, but above the rest.For these reasons, we’ll have to mark our domination and win.
3.PSG with their “typical” line-up
It has to be said that against Strasbourg, the line-up left little doubt as to who was in the starting line-up and who was a substitute.At rest, we had Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes and Ousmane Dembélé. That’s big and small at the same time.We’ve got a good idea of what these 4 players can bring to the table, and there’s no doubt they’ll be there on Tuesday evening.
With some rest beforehand, Hakimi/Dembélé can dynamite any defense. Marquinhos will secure an area that Skriniar is guarding for the duration of a match, and finally, Nuno Mendes, after his performances with Portugal, is in great form.
2. Lee/Kolo Muani/Asensio/Doué: which number 9 (or false 9)?
This choice depends on what we see on the pitch.Lee and Asensio are very similar, with the same technique, the same game intelligence and the same flaws, mainly physical.Kolo Muani, decisive with Les Bleus, can bring something else to the table: speed, physicality and the ability to create space.Finally, Doué won’t be starting, but he has that hybrid profile that can be puzzling.
Going into a match like this without knowing who will be at the forefront of the team is an important and exciting factor. Once the match gets underway, whoever plays will be expected to do so. Asensio needs to step up his game, Lee needs to get back on track, Kolo Muani needs to prove himself and Doué needs to grow up. With the return of Ramos just around the corner, the performances of the forwards will be under the microscope.
1. Winning to stay alive
8 games, a mini-championship, one defeat, one victory, that’s the balance sheet before this match.
With 6 games left and 18 points up for grabs, it’s not over yet.However, knowing the formula means that if PSG lose, that’s 3 points out of a possible 9, with two opponents within reach in the first three games.
A win will put Paris back at the top of the table, but as they lost at Arsenal, they’ll need to win, but they’ll also need to score goals and keep their goal-average up, which should play a major role when it comes to the final accounts.
