PSG v Real Sociedad – Preview, Predictions and Best Bets

PSG host Real Sociedad in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night. The hosts have never won this competition but will fancy their chances of progressing. The visitors topped their group ahead of Inter Milan and Benfica and boast a rock-solid defensive record.

PSG Form

PSG’s only defeats in the last 26 matches in all competitions were away Champions League losses at Newcastle (4-1) and AC Milan (2-1). Since the latter defeat, they’re 16 matches without losing. A 1-1 draw at Dortmund in mid-December qualified them for the round of 16.

They began 2024 with four successive wins, three in domestic cup competitions, and a 2-0 win at Lens in Ligue 1. A 2-2 home draw with Brest in the league preceded a 2-1 win at Strasbourg. They then beat Brest 3-1 at home in the Coupe de France. On Saturday, they beat Lille 3-1 at home as they ended the weekend 11 points clear at the top of the table.

PSG Team News

Luis Enrique gave full or partial rests to centre-back Marquinhos, midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery and star man Kylian Mbappe over the weekend. All three are fully fresh to start this one.

Left-back Nuno Mendes and central-back Presnel Kimpembe are ruled out. Milan Skriniar, Layvin Kurzawa, and Sergio Rico will also play no part.

PSG Motivation

At home, the Parisians are attacking and confident. They will go all out to win this match by a good margin.

Confidence in the side is high and they won’t sit back in the 90 minutes nor settle for a narrow win.

Real Sociedad Form

Newcastle got back to winning ways on Saturday as a strong second half brought a 4-1 home victory over Chelsea. Prior to that, they had lost 2-0 in successive matches as injuries and fatigue began to take their toll. They went into the FIFA break with a 2-0 loss away at Dortmund and a 2-0 loss at Bournemouth in the league.

Before those losses, Newcastle had lost just once in 12 matches in all competitions, a matchday three 1-0 home loss to Dortmund. A 2-2 draw at Wolves saw them surrender a lead before going to Man Utd and winning 3-0 in the Carabao Cup. A 1-0 home win over Arsenal followed as a controversial goal proved the difference.

Real Sociedad Team News

Coach Imanol Alguacil is without central defender Aritz Elustondo due to suspension. Two fullbacks are injury absences Kieran Tierney and Alvaro Odriozola. January signing from Union Berlin, Sheraldo Becker is injured in the attack.

Left-back Aihen Munoz is out for the season so Javi Galan will again play in that role. Rotation option in attack Carlos Fernandez has been out for five weeks and this match comes too soon for him.

Real Sociedad Motivation

The Basque-based team focuses first and foremost on clean sheets. Their recent defensive record is outstanding, but they can’t score goals.

Sociedad will go to Paris and have the belief they can grind out a draw or a one-goal defeat. They will aim to keep the tie alive.

Key Stats

PSG have won 9 of their last 11 home matches in the Champions League

PSG have conceded in 5 of their last 7 home UCL matches

Real Sociedad have kept 11 clean sheets in their last 15 matches

Sociedad have failed to score in their last 4 matches

Real Sociedad were unbeaten in the Group Stage (won 3, drew 3)

Verdict

PSG will be happy with this draw and have every belief in progressing to the quarter-finals. They’re strong at home and should win by a two-goal margin, even if the hosts prove hard to break down initially.

Best Bet: PSG win at 1.74

Value Bet: PSG win (-1 handicap) at 3.05

Goalscorer Tip: Kylian Mbappe first goalscorer at 3.30

James O'Connor

James is a football analyst who writes about the tactics of the PSL and English Premier League. He holds the UEFA A coaching licence and has previously worked for several clubs in analysis roles.Twitter: https://twitter.com/footy_analysis