PSG, the champions for the past two years, begin their title defence against one of the more unassuming opponents in this year’s competition, but their poor domestic form is a cause for concern – and, why not, a source of hope for Slovan Bratislava.
Even with their poor start to the Ligue 1 season, Paris Saint-Germain remain the clear favourites in most people’s eyes to win the Champions League for a third consecutive season.
And yet their form is worrying, following the team’s worst start to a Ligue 1 season in 14 years. The Parisians are yet to win after their first three matches and have also lost the French Super Cup.
But you can never write off PSG, given their form over the last two seasons and the fact that they are managed by Luis Enrique – the manager with the highest win percentage in Champions League history.
Slovan Bratislava, meanwhile, appear to be in excellent form, although they have lost their last two home league matches.
As for the Champions League, they didn't lose a single one of their six qualifying matches so far. But a win in Paris would be historic, as the team has never won an away match in the group stage of the tournament.
How the bookies view it: Almost no odds for PSG
It comes as no surprise that PSG are the clear favourites to win this match, with bookmakers offering virtually no odds on a victory.
If you see the value, you could back PSG at 1/20, but most people would agree that the value lies in a draw at 14/1 and an upset for the visitors at 33/1.
Recent head-to-head: The Parisians won to nil 15 years ago
PSG and Slovan Bratislava have met once in the Europa League group stage many years ago, before the Parisians began their dominance in France.
This was back in 2011, when PSG won 1–0 at home and drew 0–0 in Slovakia. Slovan Bratislava are the only Slovakian side the champions have ever faced. However, the visitors have yet to secure a win against French teams after five matches.
Players to watch: Kvara needs to step up and lead PSG back to the top
Luis Enrique’s squad has far too many world-class players, and whoever you pick to score a goal has a good chance of succeeding. But the fact is that the team isn’t performing to the required standard at the moment, so I think the most logical choice is to look to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
When he plays poorly, the team suffers greatly. But when he’s on form, PSG dominate. Kvaratskhelia has been involved in 21 goals in his last 24 matches in the competition, so he’s a good option for scoring and providing assists alike.
Probable line-ups
Paris Saint-Germain: Safonov, Mendes, Pacho, Marquinhos, Hakimi, Neves, Ruiz, Vitinha, Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia
Slovan Bratislava: Takac, Cruz, Markovic, Bajric, Blackman, Ibrahim, Martinez, Pokorny, Barseghyan, Sporar, Camara
Anything else catch the eye?
A rather interesting statistic caught my eye, and I think a bet along these lines is well worth considering. PSG have not conceded a single corner in their first three Ligue 1 matches. Bet365 are offering 13/20 on under 2.5 corners for Slovan Bratislava.
Apart from that, most of the other markets aren’t really a good option at these odds, given PSG’s advantage.
In my view, the Parisians will play a completely different game to kick off their Champions League campaign with a win, and they might well manage to keep a clean sheet for the first time this season.
PSG vs Slovan Bratislava Betting Tips & Predictions
Further Reading
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