MONE LOST BETWEEN TWO BIG MANS
PSG – Man.City (early morning of January 23, Vietnam time) is the most notable match in this midweek series in the Champions League, not only because of the big names of both sides but also because this is a fight for survival. , the losing team will immediately face the risk of being eliminated.
Coach Luis Enrique’s PSG is currently standing below the play-off line, while coach Pep Guardiola’s Man.City is only 1 point higher and 3 places above PSG. 22nd/36th place was probably never what Pep aimed for when the Champions League started.
PSG needs a victory in the early morning match on January 23 to avoid being eliminated from the Champions League
Not only does PSG have home field advantage, they can also outperform Man.City in terms of spirit, as they are leading Ligue 1 with a very safe distance. In the last 6 matches (all tournaments combined), PSG won all. In contrast, Man.City has not only destroyed their hopes of defending the top spot in the Premier League, but is also struggling to compete for the Champions League next season (they are currently outside the top 4).
Nathan Ake and John Stones are in doubt about their form, but Man.City still has the pair of midfielders Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias. Apart from Rodri’s injury and having to rest until the end of the season, Man.City’s team is generally in good shape. It is more difficult for PSG to worry about the recovery ability of Achraf Hakimi and Marquinhos in defense. Ousmane Dembele was absent in the last 2 matches. He may return, but it’s unknown in what form.
“HEh THUH S“WHICH OTHER THREAT IS THERE TO THE GENIUS?
This is the first time UEFA has applied this competition format to the prestigious Champions League arena. All are ranked together in a ranking of up to 36 teams, but each team only plays 8 matches. Almost no one can predict anything about this new thing. Now, with only 2 rounds left in the race, there is still no team officially moving on (ie definitely in the top 8 and going straight to the round of 16). At the bottom of the table, only 3 teams are certain to be eliminated (RB Leipzig, Slovan Bratislava, Young Boys, all have lost all 6 matches).
The reason PSG is ranked 25th (teams ranked 25th or lower at the end of the 8-round “league” period will be eliminated directly), is because they face too strong opponents: Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Man.City… On the other hand, every match in the league stage has only 1 leg. When two “giants” clash, the match takes place on which team’s field there is a significant difference. In general, the risk factor in this format is very high, compared to the previous group stage play.
Immediate consequences: PSG and Man.City must prepare to eliminate each other, as just mentioned. These two teams have appeared 3 times in the last 5 Champions League finals. Among the last 5 Champions League champions, Chelsea this season did not qualify for the Champions League. The remaining teams – Real Madrid, Man.City, Bayern Munich – are all only in the play-off group to gain the right to enter the round of 16. This group also includes Borussia Dortmund (last season’s runner-up), Milan, and Juventus. Play-offs are actually not a big problem for “super clubs” like Real, Man.City or Bayern. But if they clash again and have to eliminate each other in the play-off round, that will be too big of a problem!
Also in the series of early morning matches on January 23, Bayern had to be away at Feyenoord Stadium, while Real met Red Bull Salzburg at home. Even though they won, Real still could not advance to the group and go directly to the round of 16.
