Paris Saint-Germain kick off their 2024-25 Champions League campaign against Girona, who are making their debut in the tournament, at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night.
While PSG have clinched six Ligue 1 titles in the last seven seasons, Girona made headlines last year by finishing third in La Liga.
PSG are the only team in Ligue 1 with a perfect record after four games, having followed up wins over Le Havre, Montpellier, and Lille with a 3-1 comeback victory against Brest last Saturday.
Luis Enrique’s squad fell behind to a Romain Del Castillo penalty, but fought back with goals from Fabian Ruiz and two from Ousmane Dembele to secure the win.
With a strong +13 goal difference and high morale after a solid start to the season, PSG are preparing for a packed schedule of six games in 19 days, including their first two Champions League fixtures against Girona and Arsenal.
Since Qatar Sports Investments took over in 2011, winning the Champions League has been PSG’s top goal. Despite their efforts, the closest they’ve come was a loss in the 2019-20 final to Bayern Munich.
PSG will be eager to start the expanded Champions League strongly and are confident against Girona, especially given their impressive home record: they’ve lost just one of their last 36 home games in the competition, a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in October 2020.
After a standout 2023-24 La Liga season, Girona have had a mixed start to the new campaign, with seven points from two wins, one draw, and two losses in their first five matches.
They bounced back from a slow start to defeat Osasuna and Sevilla 6-0 but struggled after the international break, suffering a 4-1 loss to Barcelona, with goals from Lamine Yamal (2), Dani Olmo, and Pedri putting the game beyond them. Christian Stuani scored a late consolation for Girona.
After their heaviest home defeat since Michel took charge in 2021, the Girona coach will be focused on motivating his players for their first-ever Champions League match.
Though Girona are considered underdogs in this expanded Champions League, they can draw inspiration from the last three Spanish debutants who reached the knockout stages: Villarreal (2005-06), Sevilla (2007-08), and Malaga (2012-13).
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
PSG will be missing Goncalo Ramos (ankle), Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles), and Lucas Hernandez (ACL) due to long-term injuries. Additionally, first-choice goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is sidelined with a thigh issue from the Brest game, so summer signing Matvey Safonov is set to make his debut.
Midfielders Warren Zaire-Emery (calf) and Vitinha (ankle), who both missed the Brest match, are doubtful and will be evaluated before kickoff. This could mean Lee Kang-in, Fabian Ruiz, and Joao Neves will continue in midfield.
Luis Enrique might consider bringing back center-backs Marquinhos and William Pacho, possibly replacing Milan Skriniar and Lucas Beraldo. Up front, Bradley Barcola, PSG’s top scorer this season with four goals in as many games, could team up with Ousmane Dembele and either Marco Asensio or Randal Kolo Muani.
For Girona, Ricard Artero (ankle) and Jastin (shoulder) are still out, and Yangel Herrera, who missed the Barcelona match with an adductor problem, is a doubt for Wednesday.
Oriol Romeu, who was ineligible against Barcelona, will return and is expected to start in a three-man midfield with Ivan Martin and 19-year-old Jhon Solis. Donny van de Beek will be available as a substitute.
Abel Ruiz will likely remain as the central striker ahead of new signing Bojan Miovski and Christian Stuani. On the flanks, Portu, Bryan Gil, Viktor Tsygankov, and Arnaut Danjuma are all competing for starting positions.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Lee, Ruiz, Neves; Dembele, Kolo Muani, Barcola
Girona possible starting lineup:
Gazzaniga; Frances, Lopez, Blind, Gutierrez; Martin, Romeu, Solis; Tsygankov, Ruiz, Danjuma
EXPERT PREDICTION
PSG 4-2 Girona
Four French teams have already faced PSG this season and come up short against their goal-scoring prowess. PSG have had an impressive start to the new season and are seen as strong favorites to secure all three points on Wednesday.
With both teams coming into this match on different domestic results, and considering PSG's attacking firepower, we're confident the hosts will score more and secure a comfortable win.
