Man City host PSG in first Champions League match since guilty verdict

Who: Manchester City vs Paris Saint-Germain
What: UEFA Champions League, matchday ۲
Where: City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, United Kingdom
When: Wednesday, October ۱۴, at ۸pm (۱۹:۰۰ GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up and live updates from ۱۶:۰۰ GMT.

After being found guilty of an unprecedented breach of the Premier League’s financial rules, Manchester City turn their focus to the Champions League this week, as they host two-time holders PSG on matchday two.

Fresh off a defiant league win over Liverpool at a hostile Anfield, City have momentum on their side as they welcome PSG in a clash of two of Europe’s finest teams.

Fans will have a golden opportunity to witness a mouthwatering battle between Erling Haaland, City’s lethal striker, and forward Ferran Torres, who is enjoying his new spell at PSG after helping Spain win the ۲۰۲۶ FIFA World Cup.

Haaland has eight goals across all competitions; Torres has seven. On Wednesday, more could be added to those tallies in this round of the UCL.

After Tuesday’s league matches, PSG are ranked fifth while Man City are ninth.

Here’s everything to know about the clash:

Which financial rules have Man City breached?

An independent commission found City guilty of almost all of the ۱۱۵ charges relating to breaches of Premier League financial regulations between the ۲۰۰۹-۱۰ and ۲۰۱۷-۱۸ seasons, as well as three of four charges relating to failures to cooperate with the investigation.

City have denied wrongdoing and lodged an appeal.

No sanctions have been decided yet, but if City’s appeal fails, potential punishments include a significant point deduction and expulsion from the Premier League.

There is even the prospect of three Premier League titles being stripped from City, who won them from ۲۰۰۹ to ۲۰۱۸, the period to which the charges relate.

How have Man City played this season?

Man City have maintained a perfect record in the Premier League, winning all six matches.

Their only defeat across all competitions this season came in mid-August, when they lost to Arsenal in the Community Shield, the traditional curtain-raiser to the English football season.

How have PSG played this season?

PSG, who usually dominate Ligue ۱ having won a record ۱۴ titles, are fifth in the table, three points adrift of leaders Barcelona.

What happened in the first round of Champions League matches?

Reigning champions PSG thrashed Slovan Bratislava ۶-۱ at home in their first UCL match of the season, while Man City won ۲-۰ away to Porto in their campaign opener.

That keeps PSG fifth and Man City ninth in the league phase of this year’s Champions League.

The top eight teams at the end of the league phase qualify directly to the knockout rounds, which begin with the round of ۱۶.

Man City vs PSG: Predictions

The Opta supercomputer has made City the favourites, with a win probability of ۴۴.۱ percent. PSG were given a ۳۲ percent chance of winning, while a draw was estimated at a ۲۳.۹ percent likelihood.

Man City vs PSG: Head-to-head

(In the Champions League)

• Matches: ۷
• Man City wins: ۴
• PSG wins: ۲
• Draws: ۱

Man City vs PSG: Form guide

(Last five matches across all competitions, latest match first)

Man City: W-W-W-W-W

PSG: W-W-W-W-L

Who are the top players to watch?

Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki (Man City): Haaland’s six goals make him the Premier League’s leading scorer this season. His excellent form follows an equally impressive World Cup debut with Norway in North America. Haaland’s teammate Cherki is another vital City attacker with five goals and two assists in all competitions.

Ferran Torres and Marquinhos (PSG): Torres, whose extra-time goal guided Spain to the ۲۰۲۶ World Cup triumph, has made a quick start to life at his new club PSG, scoring seven goals in all competitions. That includes a hat-trick in PSG’s first UCL fixture. Meanwhile, captain Marquinhos has been an important presence in defence and has also scored three times.

Did you know?

• City are unbeaten at home against PSG (W۳ D۱), winning each of the last three games – most recently ۲-۱ on matchday ۵ in ۲۰۲۱-۲۲.
• City also defeated PSG in the ۲۰۱۵-۱۶ quarterfinals (۲-۲ away, ۱-۰ home) and the ۲۰۲۰-۲۱ semifinals (۲-۱ away, ۲-۰ home).
• City have lost only two of their last eight matches against French opponents (W۵ D۱), although they have won only one of their last four (D۱ L۲), drawing ۲-۲ at Monaco on Matchday ۲ last season.
• PSG are unbeaten in their last ۱۱ matches against English teams (W۸ D۳), beating Aston Villa ۲-۱ in August’s UEFA Super Cup. Last season’s Champions League final against Arsenal is the only fixture in the last six they did not win in normal time.
• A ۲-۰ victory at Liverpool in last season’s quarterfinal second leg was PSG’s third in succession in England.

Team news and predicted lineups

Man City team news

City have a fully fit squad for the match.

Predicted starting XI:

Gianluigi Donnarumma; Matheus Nunes, Marc Guehi, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol; Ayyoub Bouaddi, Enzo Fernandez; Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki, Antoine Semenyo; Erling Haaland

PSG team news

Senny Mayulu is out until late October with a thigh injury.

Predicted starting XI: 

Matvey Safonov; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Dro Fernandez, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Maghnes Akliouche, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ferran Torres