Paris Saint Germain - Borussia Dortmund predictions and free betting tips [19/09/2023]

On Tuesday, 19th September, as part of the 1st round of the Champions League group stage, PSG will host Borussia Dortmund at home. These two titan clubs find themselves in the "quartet of death", and for the first time in many years, they have a real chance of missing out on the playoffs after six played matches.

Predicted Line-ups

PSG: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar, Hernandez; Zair-Emery, Ugarte, Vitinha; Dembele, Kolo Muani, Mbappe.
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel; Wolf, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Sabitzer, Dahoud, Brandt; Malen, Haller, Reus.

Venue

The face-off will take place in Paris at the Parc des Princes.

PSG

Parisian fans are eagerly waiting for the return of the Champions League to Parc des Princes. Like most European giants, the capital club is once again trying to capture the trophy in the main continental championship, following in the footsteps of Manchester City (who became the winner of the previous CL draw for the first time in its history). In the French Championship, after a tough start in domestic matches against Lorient (0:0) and Toulouse (1:1), Luis Enrique’s team dealt with Lens (3:1) and trounced Lyon away (1:4). However, last Friday evening, PSG suffered their first defeat of the season, losing at home to Nice (2:3), despite Mbappe’s double. As a result, the reigning Ligue 1 champions secured just eight points out of a possible 15 and are sitting just fifth in the league table.   Presnel Kimpembe remains unavailable, as does Portuguese left-back Nuno Mendes.

Additionally, South Korean recruit Kang-In Lee (Mallorca) has left for the Asian Games, and backup goalkeepers Letellier and Sergio Rico remain in the infirmary. Marco Asensio, who was injured during matches for the Spain national team, will be absent along with his compatriot Fabian Ruiz. Captain Marquinhos and Ugarte did not make the starting line-up against Nice due to a long flight from South America but will now appear from the first minutes. It's important to remember that the summer at PSG was tumultuous: Messi, Neymar, Verratti, Ramos (Sevilla), and Draxler have left, while arrivals include Randell Kolo Muani, Dembele, Barkoliya, Benfica forward Goncalo Ramos, ex-Sporting midfielder Manuel Ugarte and experienced Lucas Hernandez.

Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund has a richer track record on the European stage, including a triumph in the Champions League in 1997 over Zinedine Zidane's Juventus (3:1). However, these days, the "bees" couldn't come close to replicating such a success: for example, last season they were knocked out by crisis-filled Chelsea in the round of 1/8. Last weekend, the 8-times Bundesliga champions achieved a flashy victory with a score of 2:4 over SC Freiburg in the national championship, having previously drawn twice away with Bochum (1:1) and at home with Heidenheim (2:2). Thanks to goals from Donyell Malen and Marco Reus last Saturday, the visitors extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 13 matches, scoring in each one. It should be noted that only one of the last six away games for Dortmund has ended with a victory – 1:4 over Sevilla in October last year.

The black and yellows will also be missing several players on Tuesday due to injuries: Thomas Meunier, his Belgian compatriot Duranville (who moved from Anderlecht last winter), and defender Morey. Otherwise, the formation should be fully stocked. Eden Hazard's brother Thorgan has recently transferred to Belgian club Anderlecht, and Guerreiro signed a contract with Bayern Munich. In contrast, Aller, Reus, and newcomers Sabitzer (Bayern) and Bensebaini (Borussia Mönchengladbach) have returned. Dutch forward Malen, who has already scored 3 goals in the Bundesliga this season, will likely start, as will Adeyemi, Brandt, and reliable Dahoud. The defense is cemented by Mats Hummels, who scored a double against Freiburg.

Head to Head

The teams met each other in the 1/8 final of the CL 2019/20, with Borussia prevailing at home with a score of 2:1; PSG won the return match 2:0 and moved on.

Match prediction: PSG - Borussia

It must be acknowledged – PSG, at least in terms of big names, weakened significantly in the summer of 2023, but still scores two goals per match and has Mbappe on attack. The expected return of Ugarte and Marquinhos will also give strength to Parisians, while Dortmund does not instill confidence in their fans at the start of the campaign. The red-and-blues will succeed and take all 3 points on Tuesday at home.

Total Prediction

While there are no doubts about PSG headed by Mbappe scoring, Dortmund also has its chances, considering the opponent's defensive problems at the start of the season. Betting on "both to score" looks solid.