PSG and Slovan Bratislava debut in the Champions League

The French side begins its European title defence under pressure after poor domestic results.

Paris Saint‑Germain begins its defence of the UEFA Champions League title this Wednesday, September 9, at the Parc des Princes. The match, scheduled for 20:00, pits the current European champions against the Slovak champions. The encounter draws attention because of the home side’s unstable form this season and the presence of Yaya Touré in charge of the visitors.

The unstable moment for Paris Saint‑Germain

Luis Enrique’s team started the domestic season with a surprisingly weak performance. The French club has not won in four matches and has collected only two points from three Ligue 1 games. Despite the poor domestic showing, the side aims to recover in the continental tournament, where it defends the title won in the last two editions after beating Arsenal on penalties in Budapest in May.

Slovan Bratislava’s journey under Yaya Touré

On the other side, Slovan Bratislava arrives at the competition led by former Manchester City and Barcelona player Yaya Touré. The current coach guided the Slovak champions through three qualifying rounds before reaching this stage of the tournament. In the overall Champions League standings, both Paris Saint‑Germain and Slovan Bratislava start the match with zero points, occupying 21st and 27th places respectively.

Probable line‑ups for the Parc des Princes match

For the clash, Paris Saint‑Germain is expected to start goalkeeper Safonov, defenders Hakimi, Zabarnyi, Pacho and Nuno Mendes, midfielders Fernández, Vitinha and Ruiz, and attackers Torres, Dembélé and Akliouche. Bench options include players such as Marquinhos, Lucas Beraldo and João Neves. Slovan Bratislava’s likely starting eleven features goalkeeper Takác, defenders Blackman, Bajric, Markovic and Sandro Cruz, midfielders Martínez, Pokorny and Ibrahim, with Barseghyan, Sporar and Suleiman Camara up front.

History of the Champions League encounter

Slovan Bratislava is looking to break a historical taboo, as the Slovak side has never beaten the French team in previous meetings. While Paris Saint‑Germain faces difficulties in its domestic competitions, Champions League nights at the Parc des Princes usually present a different scenario for the hosts, who go in as favourites due to the large technical gap between the clubs.

With information from BBC, USA Today.