Club Brugge vs PSG live on September 15, 2021: Messi eyeing UCL debut for Les Parisiens

September 15, 2021 By Ali M.

Topics: TV Schedules, Club Brugge, PSG, UEFA Champions League

The Ligue 1 giants kick off their European campaign on Wednesday with their trip to Belgian. Will La Pulga enjoy a dream debut? Here's a preview of this clash.

Preview

UEFA Champions League favorites PSG kick off their European campaign on Wednesday, with the continental powerhouses embarking on their fresh search for the Ol' Big Ears in their 3 p.m. ET clash with Club Brugge. All eyes will be on the French sides and whether they will stake their claim for the title as early as Matchday 1.

It's no secret that the Ligue 1 giants' burning desire is to lift the UEFA Champions League crown in order to sit alongside Europe's other heavyweights. However, while Les Parisiens have come knocking several times, they have always come up short, with their 2019/20 campaign being the closest – they finished as runners-up behind champions Bayern Munich.

Last season, Mbappe and Co. got revenge on the Bundesliga champions, eliminating them in the quarterfinal stage, but were sadly undone in the semis by Man City, losing both home and away against Guardiola's men. Two things could be blamed for this shortcoming: a mid-season managerial change which saw Mauricio Pochettino replace Thomas Tuchel and the lack of natural leaders who know nothing but winning silverware for fun.

The club thus addressed the latter point during the summer transfer window, signing two high-profiled icons in the form of Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi – both were signed for free! The Spanish center-back led Real Madrid to three successive UEFA Champions League crowns – four overall – and will be tasked with doing the same at the Parc des Princes while Leo looks to establish a deadly partnership with close friend Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

The Argentine, Brazilian, and Frenchman are yet to combine but Pochettino's side have been thriving nonetheless. The Ligue 1 heavyweights have marched to a four-point lead at the top of the French top-flight table after winning all five of their opening fixtures.

Can Club Brugge hold their own against Les Parisiens? The Belgian outfit have never made it past the group stage and given that their two other competitors are Man City and RB Leipzig, no one predicts Philippe Clement's side to go far. Regardless, a David and Goliath win over PSG would be a great achievement. Do not miss this tie.

Team news

Club Brugge: Eder Balanta is unavailable for the home side after picking up an injury over the weekend. Eder Balanta and Wesley join him on the sidelines, with Mats Rits looking to deputize.

PSG: Sergio Ramos, Layvin Kurzawa and Marco Verratti are yet to return from injury. Messi, Neymar, and Paredes, having missed the weekend game after returning late from the international break, should return for this fixture. Angel di Maria is suspended.

Key stats

PSG are currently on a three-game losing streak in the UEFA Champions League.
Club Brugge have won only two out of their last 12 games in this tournament, with both of those victories coming against Zenit St Petersburg.
The French side emerged triumphant both home and away when these two sides met last season in the group stage, scoring six goals and conceding none across both ties.