Two heavyweights of the FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) clash on Sunday night as PSG play Atletico Madrid at the Rose Bowl. Both teams will be expecting to progress into the knockout stage of the competition from Group B, which also contains Brazilians Botafogo and MLS side Seattle Sounders.
PSG will no doubt be one of the favourites to win the whole tournament, after coming off the back of a memorable treble-winning season. Their 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) final in their last outing was their fifth victory in a row across all competitions.
Atletico have won three of their last five in all competitions, scoring four goals in each of those victories! Having won the previous H2H 2-1 at the Parc des Princes in the UCL league phase as well, they will be confident in themselves of upsetting the apple cart.
How the bookies view it: PSG more fancied by bookmakers
BoyleSports have PSG as 4/5 odds-on favourites to take all three points from their group stage opener. A draw is priced at 11/4 with the same bookmaker, while an Atletico victory can be backed at 13/5.
Recent head-to-head: PSG humbled at Parc des Princes
As previously mentioned, PSG actually lost 2-1 at home to Atletico in the UCL league phase earlier this season. The Parisians were remarkably on the brink of potentially being eliminated from the competition, before a sudden spark in form saw them go all the way to win it.
Warren Zaire-Emery gave the hosts an early lead, before Nahuel Molina equalised just a few minutes later. Angel Correa scored a dramatic late winner for the visitors in stoppage time.
Players to watch: Doue through the middle?
In Ousmane Dembele's likely absence, Desire Doue could be given the chance to play through the middle. The young Frenchman scored a brace in the UCL final, and can be backed at 15/8 with BoyleSports to score anytime.
Remarkably, Alexander Sorloth has scored a total of eight goals across Atletico's last four wins. The Norwegian still has to compete for a starting place with both Julian Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann though.
Predicted lineups
As mentioned, Dembele will likely miss out after sustaining an injury while on international duty with France.
Atletico have no fresh injury concerns, and so have a fully fit squad to choose from.
PSG: Donnarumma, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes, Fabian, Vitinha, Neves, Barcola, Doue, Kvaratskhelia.
Atletico Madrid: Oblak, Molina, Le Normand, Gimenez, Galan, Simeone, Koke, De Paul, Gallagher, Griezmann, Alvarez.
Anything else catch the eye?
PSG should have the edge, but with the previous three H2Hs seeing both teams score, a combo of PSG to win and Both Teams To Score (BTTS) is worth exploring. BoyleSports are offering a price boost of 11/4 for that outcome to come through.
Given how free-scoring these two sides can be and have been of late, we are also backing Over 3.5 total goals at 17/10 with the same bookmaker.
GambleAware