Villarreal vs PSG – News and Probable Lineups

Seeking to preserve their flawless record in this Champions League season, Paris Saint-Germain is set to meet Villarreal for the first time ever on Tuesday at Estadio de la Ceramica located in eastern Espanha.

The back-to-back reigning champions are among five teams without losses in the tournament thus far, having secured a 4-2 victory over Barcelona on matchday three, while Villarreal finds themselves in 19th place with three points, after a 4-3 defeat against Liverpool in their latest Champions League match.

Match overview

As they compete in their sixth Champions League campaign this season, Villarreal has experienced several thrilling finishes, though not all have been in their favor.

Each of their initial three League Phase games have seen four or more goals, with their only victory occurring at home when they came back to defeat Napoli 3-1.

The two-time Champions League semi-finalists have struggled defensively in this tournament, having conceded goals in 14 consecutive Champions League matches, allowing an average of 3.8 goals per game over their last 10 matches.

Inigo Perez has watched his team drop points in two successive competitive home fixtures, but on Tuesday, they have the chance to win back-to-back Champions League group games at El Madrigal for the first time since 2008.

Villarreal has been unable to secure victories in their last two League Phase matches in this competition while leading at halftime, and lost their only European match this season under similar circumstances at Anfield on matchday three.

El Submarino Amarillo remains undefeated in their two prior Champions League encounters against French teams, winning at home against Lille in 2005-06 (1-0) and drawing 0-0 in France during that same season.

With three fixtures completed in the League Phase, Paris Saint-Germain appears determined to become just the second team in this century to clinch three consecutive Champions League titles, following Real Madrid.

Luis Enrique’s squad, who began their Ligue 1 campaign without a victory in their first three encounters, has been dominant in the early stages of this tournament, following a remarkable 6-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava with successive 4-2 wins against title rivals Manchester City and Barcelona.

They have scored 14 goals so far, equalling Arsenal’s tally from 2010-11 for the highest number of goals in this competition after three matchdays, and this week they can achieve their first four Champions League group wins for the first time since 2019.

On Monday, Enrique achieved his 127th competitive victory at the helm, the highest in history for managers of Les Parisiens, and this week he can guide them to a new club record for their longest unbeaten streak in the Champions League, which currently stands at 13 matches.

Only one of their last three League Phase matches has resulted in a victory away from home, although they have not lost a Champions League group match on Spanish soil since November 2015 (1-0 to Real Madrid).

Les Parisiens have the potential to secure their 10th consecutive win across all competitions on Tuesday, conceding a goal or fewer in four of their last five competitive encounters as visitors.

Team News

Several players from Villarreal are doubtful for the match due to muscular issues, including Nathan Saliba, Alassane Diatta, Juan Foyth, and Ilias Akhomach.

Santiago Mourino and Tani Oluwaseyi are leading the scoring charts for them in this phase of the competition, each with two goals, the latter having scored late against the Reds on matchday three.

Their other goals in that match were scored by Sergi Cardona and French-born forward Georges Mikautadze, who represents Georgia internationally.

At PSG, Marquinhos and Ousmane Dembele are dealing with hamstring injuries, while Nuno Mendes and Alessandro Longoni are suffering from leg injuries, and Georgian international Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is unavailable due to a torn cruciate ligament.

Ferran Torres, who previously played for one of Villarreal’s primary regional rivals Valencia, is currently tied with Dembele for the team lead with three goals in the League Phase.

Meanwhile, Desire Doue has netted in consecutive Champions League games, joining Spaniard Fabian Ruiz, Lucas Hernandez, and Vitinha on the scoresheet against Barca.

Villarreal probable starting XI:

Gulacsi; Mourinho, Navarro, Veiga, Cardona; Commissioner, Gueye; Oluwaseyi; Buchanan, Mikautadze, Fireman

Paris Saint-Germain probable starting XI:

Safonov; Hakimi, Beraldo, Pacho, Hernandez; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Fernandez; God, Torres, Akliouche

Defensively, Villarreal has been consistently vulnerable in this competition, and while PSG may not have their most lethal attacking players available, they should possess adequate resources to exploit a side as defensively frail as the Spaniards have been throughout the season.