Goals scored is all that separates Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica at the UEFA Champions League (UCL) Group H summit (W2, D1), as both sides had to settle for a share of the spoils in Portugal last week (1-1). Current French Ligue 1 leaders PSG have been victorious in all but two of their ten league outings so far this season (D2), although one of those draws did come at the weekend as PSG slumped to a goalless stalemate away to Reims.
PSG coach Christophe Galtier stated he “couldn’t be satisfied with that”, and a return to the Parc des Princes should garner some confidence as they’ve won all three of their previous home UCL matches against Portuguese opposition, including a 3-0 victory against Benfica back in 2013! The Parisians have also won their previous five home UCL outings, and notably, a sixth win in this game would equal the club’s longest such run in the competition!
It’s been a dream unbeaten start to 2022/23 for 37-time Portuguese champions Benfica, who sit top of the Primeira Liga in the early standings, with victory eluding them just twice in 16 competitive outings this season (W14, D2). A 2-1 win at Juventus in their last UCL away match extended Benfica’s current unbeaten away run in the competition to six games (W4, D2) and means they could win their opening two UCL group stage road trips for the first time in over ten years!
It’s unlikely to be an easy feat for Roger Schmidt’s men to achieve, with Benfica set for a tough test against a PSG side who they’re winless against in three away European H2Hs (D1, L2). More widely, the Eagles have never won a single UCL away game on French soil (D2, L5) while scoring only twice in the process, perhaps raising doubts over their credentials here.
Players to watch: With another goal in this match, Kylian Mbappé – the world’s highest-paid football player in 2022 according to Forbes – would edge ahead of Edinson Cavani (30 goals) as PSG’s highest European scorer in club history. Meanwhile, Benfica will hope David Neres can find the net as he has led his team to victory in his previous 21 goalscoring matches.
Hot stat: All but three of the 20 H2H match goals were scored before the break.
