Paris Saint-Germain vs Manchester United: prediction, preview and team news
The opening round of 2020/21 Champions League fixtures get underway this week and there could be a cracker in store at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, with Paris Saint-Germain playing host to Manchester United.
Paris Saint-Germain will host English giants Manchester United at the Parc des Princes as the UEFA Champions League group stage begins.
PSG came agonisingly close to winning the Champions League for the first time last season but lost out to Bayern Munich in the final, while United last won the competition back in 2008 and their supporters are itching for more glory.
Paris Saint-Germain come into this game following a 4-0 win over Nimes Olympique on Friday in Ligue 1.
Manchester United, on the other hand, beat Newcastle United 4-1 on Saturday in the English Premier League.
Manchester United’s return to the top table of European football could hardly get off to a more difficult start, but they have relatively recent history from which to draw optimism.
Few gave them any chance of picking up a result when the two sides last met in March 2019, with United travelling to the French capital for the second leg of that last 16 showdown having been beaten 2-0 at Old Trafford in the first leg.
PSG have only ever lost seven of their 53 home Champions League games and have not conceded a goal in four successive such wins since Man United last visited. The Red Devils, incidentally, are looking to become the first visiting team to beat PSG twice at home in the Champions League.
PSG vs MAN UTD – Match Stats:
- The only previous European encounter between Paris SG and Manchester United was in the last 16 stage in the 2018/19 season.
- Paris SG have only lost seven of their 53 home UEFA Champions League matches.
- Manchester United haven’t faced a French side in the UEFA Champions League group stage since 2005/06, failing to win either game against Lille. The Red Devils have only won one of their six away group stage games in France (D3 L2), a 2-1 win at Bordeaux in March 2000.
- Paris SG have lost none of their 24 home UEFA Champions League group stage matches since the start of the 2012/13 season.
- Manchester United have lost their opening match in just two of their 22 UEFA Champions League campaigns (W13 D7), against Juventus in 1996/97 and PSV in 2015/16.
- Manchester United have lost four of their last five UEFA Champions League matches (W1), including each of their last two.
In three previous encounters between the two sides, the record is fairly even. Paris Saint-Germain have won two games and lost once.
The two clubs last met each other in 2019, in a famous Champions League round of 16 tie. Manchester United beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-1.
The unforgettable round-of-16 showdown between these two clubs in 2018-19 is surprisingly the only time they have met on the European stage before.
PSG were 2-0 winners in the first leg at Old Trafford to seemingly put one foot firmly in the quarter-finals.
Tuesday will be the first time since 2005-06 that United have faced a French side in the group stage of the Champions League, and they have only ever won one of their six away group games in France – at Bordeaux in March 2000.
Paris Saint-Germain may have injury issues, but in Neymar and Mbappe they have two of the best attackers in world football. They should be able to beat Manchester United comfortably in this match.
Prediction: PSG -1.0 @ 1.95
