Paris Saint-Germain expect to win the Champions League this season, and that journey officially begins Tuesday on Paramount+ when the Parisians travel to Belgium to face Club Brugge on Matchday 1. The two teams are in Group A, along with Manchester City and RB Leipzig. PSG enter as the favorites to take all three points convincingly as the hosts look to pull off a shocker. The trio of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar are all starting.
Here's are storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
Storylines
Brugge: Even just a draw would be great for Brugge, and it would be viewed as an upset on a global scale. But in order to achieve that, they are going to have to improve defensively. They may be in first place in the Belgian Pro League but have conceded 11 goals in just seven games in the process, including six against Gent on Aug. 29. If you are conceding six against a Gent team sitting just above the relegation zone, imagine what PSG could do. They have to sit 10 guys behind the ball, close down quickly and have an all-out performance from their goalkeeper to even come close to drawing.
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PSG: Messi, Mbappe and Neymar are all in the squad as the world awaits to see what all three of them on the pitch looks like. Marco Verratti is out injured, while Angel Di Maria and Idrissa Gueye are both suspended. Sergio Ramos is still out as he aims to reach full fitness, but in all honesty, whoever plays behind the front three should be serviceable enough for a dominant victory. Expect quick touches, more than 20 shots and potentially north of four goals if the trio start from the very beginning. This has a chance to be as lopsided as they come.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Wednesday, Sept. 15
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Jan Breydelstadion -- Brugge, Belgium
- TV and Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Brugge +1200; Draw +525; PSG -430 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Prediction
Messi gets his first goal in the PSG shirt as the visitors roll to a victory in a match that's pretty much over by the break. Pick: PSG 5, Brugge 1
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