Saint-Germain Takes a Cautious Journey to Villarreal in Today's Champions League
Saint-Germain vs. Villarreal Champions League clash, with reports on Bayern Munich injuries and matches involving Barcelona, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Roma, Inter Milan, and Feyenoord.
Translated by Qiyas from الجريدة — Original source
Under Spanish coach Luis Enrique, Paris Saint-Germain is enjoying its best continental campaign, having won the title in consecutive seasons, while domestically it leads the league by two points over Lille following a dominant 5-1 victory over host Le Havre on Friday, thanks to a hat-trick and two key assists from Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi.
PSG has remained unbeaten in its last 13 matches in the main continental competition (nine wins and four draws), equalling the club’s record set between the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 seasons.
In contrast, Villarreal, making its first continental appearance against PSG, is experiencing a turbulent period in La Liga, leaving it in eighth place, away from the top spots. The Spanish side has also had an ordinary start to the Champions League, with one win and two losses.
Another notable clash today features Atletico Madrid, strong contenders for the La Liga title alongside rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona, as they face Bayern Munich, leaders of the German Bundesliga. Atletico has won seven consecutive league matches.
Previous meetings between the two sides in the group stage of the 2020-2021 season saw Bayern win 4-0 in Munich and draw 1-1 in Madrid. Overall, the Bavarian club has won four of their eight encounters, but has yet to secure a victory over Atletico on Spanish soil in three previous attempts.
Bayern is dealing with injuries, most recently to Moroccan international Noussair Mazraoui, who underwent successful surgery on his right ankle after suffering a ligament tear during Saturday’s match against Borussia Dortmund. The club also lost the services of striker Serge Gnabry, who is injured in his left thigh.
Six minutes before the end of regular time, French midfielder Michael Olise also left the pitch holding his right knee. Jamal Musiala and Colombian defender Luis Diaz are also recovering from muscle strains sustained in late September.
Meanwhile, Barcelona will host English side Aston Villa, one of five teams that have yet to drop a point so far, seeking quick revenge for their painful 4-2 defeat to PSG.
The two teams have met four times in European competitions, in two two-legged ties. Barcelona won 4-3 on aggregate in the 1978 UEFA Cup quarter-finals, while Aston Villa claimed the 1982 European Super Cup after a 3-1 aggregate victory.
At Old Trafford, English club Manchester United will host Italian side Roma in a match where the home side enters under significant pressure after failing to win in their last nine games across all competitions, while the Italian team is in excellent form.
Manchester United sits 21st in the standings, while Roma is 15th, with both teams having collected three points from three matches.
Manchester United will be without Patrick Dorgu, Luke Shaw, and Benjamin Sesko, with doubts surrounding the availability of Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo. Roma will also miss several key players, notably Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini, and Manuel Locatelli.
At De Kuip, Dutch club Feyenoord will host Italian side Inter Milan, with both teams having gathered only three points from their first three league matches.
