Paris Saint-Germain will kick off their 2024-25 Champions League journey on Wednesday night at the Parc des Princes, where they face tournament debutants Girona.While PSG secured their sixth Ligue 1 title in the last seven seasons, Girona surprised many by finishing third in La Liga, earning them a spot in Europe’s premier competition for the first time.PSG enters the match in impressive form, being the only Ligue 1 side with a perfect record after four games. Following victories over Le Havre, Montpellier, and Lille, they mounted a 3-1 comeback win against Brest last Saturday. Despite falling behind to a Romain Del Castillo penalty just before the 30-minute mark, PSG rallied with two goals from Ousmane Dembele and a strike from Fabian Ruiz to secure the win.BVB set sights high after major overhaul following Champions League final runBoasting a remarkable +13 goal difference in Ligue 1, PSG are full of confidence heading into a demanding stretch of six games in 19 days across multiple competitions, including Champions League fixtures against Girona and Arsenal.Since PSG’s Qatari owners took over in 2011, the Champions League has been their ultimate ambition. However, the prestigious European title has eluded them, with their closest brush being a 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich in the 2019-20 final. Not even the acquisitions of stars such as Neymar, Lionel Messi or the until-recently face of the club, Kylian Mbappe, could bring the Ol’ Big Ears to the French capital. Many believe that during the Frenchman’s tenure with the Saints – the focus being more on him than on the team resulted in them not being able to reach the club’s biggest goal.PSG are eager to make a statement in the newly-expanded Champions League and will feel confident heading into Wednesday’s match. They have lost just one of their last 36 home games in the competition, a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in October 2020.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Girona, after a historic third-place finish in La Liga last season, have had a mixed start to the new campaign, accumulating seven points from their first five matches. They bounced back from early setbacks with back-to-back wins over Osasuna and Sevilla by an aggregate score of 6-0, but a 4-1 defeat to Barcelona last weekend brought them back down to earth. Goals from Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, and Pedri put Barca firmly in control, with Girona’s Christian Stuani scoring a late consolation.Despite their recent loss, Girona head coach Michel will look to refocus his players as they embark on their first-ever Champions League match. They may be seen as underdogs, but Girona can draw inspiration from the fact that the last three Spanish debutants in the competition – Villarreal (2005-06), Sevilla (2007-08), and Malaga (2012-13) – all advanced to the knockout stages.PSG will be without several key players due to injuries, including Goncalo Ramos (ankle), Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles), Lucas Hernandez (ACL), and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma (thigh). Matvey Safonov, a summer signing, is expected to make his debut in goal. Midfielders Warren Zaire-Emery (calf) and Vitinha (ankle) are doubtful, leaving room for Fabian Ruiz, Joao Neves, and Lee Kang-in to continue in midfield.⚔️ El debutante Girona, primera prueba europea para el PSG post Mbappé. 🔸Luis Enrique recupera a Vitinha y Zaïre-Emery; Donnarumma ha sido padre y es duda.🔸Michel convocó a toda la plantilla para una noche inolvidable. #UCL pic.twitter.com/Otwci6UmiF— EFE Deportes (@EFEdeportes) September 18, 2024 Coach Luis Enrique may also consider changes in defense, potentially bringing back Marquinhos and William Pacho for Milan Skriniar and Lucas Beraldo. Leading scorer Bradley Barcola, with four goals in four matches, is expected to feature alongside Dembele, with either Marco Asensio or Randal Kolo Muani completing the attack.Girona, on the other hand, will be without Ricard Artero (ankle) and Jastin (shoulder), while Yangel Herrera is a doubt due to an adductor issue. Oriol Romeu, who was unavailable against his parent club Barcelona, is expected to return to the starting XI, joining Ivan Martin and Jhon Solis in midfield. Up front, Abel Ruiz is likely to lead the line, supported by wingers such as Portu, Bryan Gil, Viktor Tsygankov, or Arnaut Danjuma.Both sides will be eager to secure a positive result as they embark on their Champions League campaigns, with PSG looking to assert their dominance and Girona hoping to spring a surprise in their debut season.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 1TuesdayJuventus – PSV 3-1 (2-0)/Yildiz 21, McKennie 27, Gonzales 52 – Saibari 90+3/Young Boys – Aston Villa 0-3 (0-2)/Tielemans 27, Ramsey 38, Onana 85/AC Milan – Liverpool 1-3 (1-2)/Pulisic 3 – Konate 23, van Dijk 41, Szoboszlai 67/Bayern – Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 (3-0)/Kane 19 pen, 58, 63 pen, 78 pen Guerreiro 33, Olise 38, 61, Sane 85, Goretzka 90+2 – Petkovic 49, Ogiwara 50/Real Madrid – Stuttgart 3-1 (0-0)/Mbappe 46, Rudiger 83, Endrick 90+5 – Undav 68/Sporting – Lille 2-0 (1-0)/Gyokeres 38, Debast 65/Wednesday19:45: (1.95) Bologna (3.60) Shakhtar (4.30)19:45: (2.45) Sparta Praha (3.40) Salzburg (2.85)22:00: (1.37) Celtic (5.20) Slovan B. (10.0)22:00: (3.80) Club Brugge (3.50) Dortmund (2.10)22:00: (1.55) Man.City (4.10) Inter (6.00)22:00: (1.42) PSG (4.60) Girona (7.50)Thursday19:45: (4.20) Crvena Zvezda (3.60) Benfica (1.95)19:45: (4.40) Feyenoord (3.70) Leverkusen (1.80)22:00: (4.10) Atalanta (3.50) Arsenal (1.90)22:00: (1.80) Atl.Madrid (3.60) RB Leipzig (4.60)22:00: (1.90) Brest (3.60) Sturm (4.50)22:00: (4.60) Monaco (3.60) Barcelona (1.80)***odds are subject to change***
