The 2020-2021 UEFA Champions League tournament begins this week. A few interesting opening games include Liverpool versus Ajax, Bayern Munich vs Atletico Madrid, and Chelsea vs Sevilla. The level of competition is high, as is the degree of excitement. With that said, there cannot be a more exciting opening match than Manchester United versus Paris Saint-Germain. This is a rematch of the Round of 16 encounter between the two clubs in the 2018-19 tournament. It resulted in Les Parisiens being eliminated in heartbreaking fashion. PSG is not only out for revenge, but they will be looking to prove a point; they are a different team than they were that fateful day and history will not repeat itself.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Keys To Victory
Key #1: Find The Back Of Net.
Scoring goals is obviously very important for Les Parisiens. In their case, no goals equal no wins. Finding the back of the net is the top priority in the game plan.
Overall, it’s about winning effectively and convincingly. In order for that to happen, Les Parisiens will have to score at least three goals. Even though this is only the first match, Paris Saint-Germain has no time to waste as they are looking to avenge their loss in last season’s final.
It was their inability to score in the final that led to their defeat to Bayern Munich. So the more they score, the higher their odds rise. In addition, scoring more goals allows Les Parisiens to be more than one step ahead of their opponent. Because PSG’s respectable attack is squaring off against an unconvincing Manchester United defense, Les Parisiens shouldn’t have too much trouble putting the ball into the back of the net.
Key #2: Solid Defending.
While Manchester United is not the best team in the Premier League, their talent is undeniable. From Marcus Rashford to Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes to Donny van de Beek. Now Edinson Cavani, who played for Paris Saint-Germain for seven years is now playing for Manchester United.
As underwhelming as the Red Devils are, they do have talent. However, the question is whether or not they are able to put that talent to good use. Regardless of the situation, the Parisian defense has to be ready for anything. Manchester United is far from being a good team, but they are capable of capitalizing on a crucial mistake committed by an opposing defense.
The Parisian defense needs to be on top of its game and not grant the Red Devils attack any favors or opportunities. Les Parisiens want to be in control of the match by being solid on both offense and defense.
Key #3: Concentration And Maintaining Discipline.
The mental aspect is and always has been a cause for concern for Les Parisiens. That being said, they need to be 100 percent both physically and mentally. In other words, they need to be fully prepared.
Les Parisiens cannot come into this game overconfident because overconfidence and arrogance were the reasons for their heartbreaking loss on March 6, 2019. Paris Saint-Germain knows they cannot make the same mistake twice.
Maintaining discipline is done without committing risky and unnecessary errors. Again, they must not allow their opponents to have an advantage over them. The club needs to play some sublime football. Avoiding yellow cards would also be very helpful.
Kylian Mbappe in Ligue 1 this season: four games, four goals, four assists 👑 pic.twitter.com/FZmiBeGCi0
— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 16, 2020
Prediction
Les Parisiens take the game with a final score of 3-1. Manchester United is coming off a 4-1 win against Newcastle United, but the Red Devils still have a lot of holes to fill and Les Parisiens are on an entirely different level. This could be a very overwhelming game for them.
Paris Saint-Germain is out for revenge. Les Parisiens are hungry for the title. They want the title badly and are willing to go through every obstacle that gets in their way. The club is strong and they are fully capable of making an example out of Manchester United.
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