Champions League: PSG Won’t Offer Spurs Any Comfort

Paris Saint-Germain vs Tottenham Hotspur

Fifth hosts tenth in a fascinating Champions League tussle at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, when Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain welcomes Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotspur.

I say ‘welcome’, but I expect the Londoners will receive a hostile reception in the ‘City of Romance.’ The Whites are unbeaten in the Champions League this season, but two wins and two draws leave Frank’s men just outside the automatic qualification spaces on the UEFA league table. PSG are in that top eight and, as reigning European champions, they will be in no mood to hand that position over.      

While Tottenham were handing FC Copenhagen a 4-0 thumping last time out, PSG lost to Bayern Munich by the odd goal in three. But the Parisians come into the game on the back of a 3-0 win over Le Havre while Spurs suffered a North London Derby nightmare, with a 4-1 defeat to Arsenal. 

And a match-up with one of the very best teams in Europe is not what Spurs needs right now! 

 

Talking Points

Still no Dembele for PSG

Until their defeat to Bayern Munich, Enrique’s men had a perfect set of Champions League 2025 results and the Parisians will be determined to get back on track on Wednesday. PSG have a deep squad with plenty of attacking talent, but they have their fair share of injury problems in their creative unit. Ballon D’Or winner Ousmane Dembele has been back in training but, having missed the clash with Le Havre, it has been reported that the Spurs game comes too soon, and he will join Achraf Hakimi and Desire Doue in the treatment room.

Wingback Hakimi was on the end of a horror tackle from Luis Diaz in the loss to Bayern, and he is still recovering from that ankle injury so Warren Zaire-Emery is primed to deputise.

There will certainly be a place in the starting eleven for Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia who was rested against Le Havre, starting on the bench. He was PSG’s star performer in their successful Euro campaign last term and Kvaratskhelia remains the French side’s most dangerous forward. He climbed off the bench to set up another substitute, Bradley Barcola, for PSG’s third goal and both will line up against Spurs on Wednesday.      

The Champions League 2025 betting odds rate the reigning champions as third favourites and, with such an array of talent to choose from, Enrique has a very strong hand. 

 

Simons time to shine for Spurs

Tottenham need a lift after their chastening defeat at the hands of Arsenal when they were weaker in almost every aspect of the game and, while Richarlison scored a spectacular consolation goal for the Whites, the Gunners’ defence had little to worry about, and Frank needs to find a way of stretching the best defences in European football. He will be without the influential Brennan Johnson, who made Champions League history during the win over Copenhagen by being the first player to score and be sent off in the same match.

Frank was criticised after the derby loss for his decision to start young winger Wilson Odobert, in favour of summer signing Xavi Simons. The Whites splashed over £50m to bring the Netherlands star to the Premier League after he impressed at Red Bull Leipzig, and, still only 22, Simons can play out wide or just in behind the striker. The Premier League is always a big test for overseas players but Simons is a real talent and he could give Spurs the spark they need.

At the other end of the pitch it will be a busy night for Spurs’ centre back pairing of Mickey Van de Ven and Cristian Romero. Argentina star Romero received his fifth yellow card of the campaign in the loss to Arsenal so will take a break from domestic football next weekend. So he won’t leave anything on the pitch on Wednesday as the Spurs defence tries to keep the PSG attack at bay.  

 

History

This is the first time Paris and Spurs have met in the Champions League but they have encountered each other twice in recent years, in the ICC Cup in 2017 when Spurs won 4-2, and then in the Super Cup this year when the two teams played out a 2-2 draw, before PSG won on penalties.  

PSG’s recent form has been strong with four wins, one draw and that defeat to Bayern Munich in the last round, while Spurs have been hit and miss with two wins, one draw and three defeats   

 

Betting Tip

PSG are hot favourites to win this clash at SBOTOP odds of 1.43 with Spurs at 7.50 and the Draw is at 4.95. Frank has been doing a good job at Spurs in my opinion; but his team is wounded and I expect their hosts to take advantage.    

   

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