Champions League: PSG and Atleti Continue to Play Catch-Up

PSG vs Atletico Madrid

PSG and Atletico Madrid aim to regain their bearings here in the Champions League, as they have struggled to match expectations so far.

After winning their opening games against Girona and RB Leipzig, respectively, PSG and Atletico Madrid have fallen behind because of their poor stretch of Champions League 2024 results.

PSG lost against Arsenal and settled for a draw with PSV, while Atletico Madrid suffered heavy defeats against Benfica and Lille. As a result, the Parisiens are in 19^th place with four points, while Los Rojiblancos are the 27^th seed with only three points.

Both teams are doing well lately in their home countries, so they’re hoping to carry their momentum here in Europe.

Which team do you think will get back to winning ways? Here is the SBOTOP preview of his highly anticipated clash at Parc des Princes on Wednesday night.

 

Talking Points

Barcola lighting it up for PSG

PSG have been looking for someone to consistently shoulder the heavy load on offence following the departure of Kylian Mbappe. It took them a while, but it seems that they have finally found one in Bradley Barcola.

The young Frenchman has scored eight goals in 10 Ligue 1 matches for the Parisiens this season, which is already double the total he notched across the entire 2023-24 season.

Barcola also happens to be the frontrunner of the ongoing Ligue 1 Golden Boot race, besting the likes of Jonathan David and Mason Greenwood.

Unfortunately for him, his league form has yet to carry over here in the Champions League because PSG only have an own goal and a goal from Achraf Hakimi to show for in the opening three matchdays.

With Goncalo Ramos (ankle) still on the sidelines, Barcola can open his Champions League account on Wednesday, and he’ll be joined up front by Ousmane Dembele and Marco Asensio.

Lee Kang-In will also play a key role for the Parisiens, as he has created the joint-most chances in the competition so far with 10 alongside VfB Stuttgart’s Enzo Millot.

Meanwhile, PSG’s goalkeeper situation is another thing to monitor since Luis Enrique made the bold move of benching Gianluigi Donnarumma in favour of Matvei Safonov against Lens.

Because they won 1-0 against Lens with Safonov between the sticks, the Russian shot stopper might draw another start.

 

Alvarez will be key for Atletico Madrid

Julian Alvarez has been long known for his efficient production during his time at Manchester City, playing behind Erling Haaland. The Argentinean international has been involved in 13 goals in 20 Champions League appearances to date, despite mostly coming off the bench.

However, Alvarez has to do better since he has only recorded one goal and one assist in eight away games.

Following recent defeats against Lille and Real Betis, Atletico Madrid returned to winning ways against Vic and Las Palmas. Alvarez notched a brace against Vic, which should give him confidence.

Atleti can keep up with PSG because they are also loaded up front. Other than Alvarez, Los Rojiblancos have Antoine Griezmann, Alexander Sorloth, and Giuliano Simeone.

 

History

PSG and Atletico Madrid have never met in any competition before Wednesday, although Luis Enrique and Diego Simeone are familiar foes.

Enrique and Simeone have gone head-to-head on the touchline 14 times, with the former recording nine wins and the latter having three wins and two draws.

Atletico Madrid were undefeated through their first four Champions League meetings against French opposition (W3, D1) before losing to Lille on Matchday 3. Los Rojiblancos conceded more goals in that game (3) than in their first four Champions League matches against French sides combined (2).

Atletico Madrid are the 10^th Spanish team PSG will have faced in Europe. If the Parisiens lose on Wednesday, it’ll mark the first time they’ve lost five European games within a single calendar year (W4, D1, L4).

 

Betting Tip

The Champions League 2024 odds are partisan toward the hosts ahead of Wednesday. PSG are 1.72 favourites to win, while Atletico Madrid are listed as 4.29 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.50 in the 1X2 market.

However, given their recent forms and how they match on paper, predicting the winner of this contest is not as straightforward as you’d expect. Instead, we believe that there’ll be a handful of goals from both sides, hence our recommended bet above.

Bettors shouldn’t go wrong going for alternatives like Over 2.25 at 1.65, Over 2.50 at 1.88, or Over 2.75 at 2.09, while Total Goals 4-6 at 3.22 is a possibility.

   

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