Both struggling to match expectations in this year's Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid will convene at Parc des Princes on Wednesday.
PSG and Atleti have never met before, but the clubs' coaches are familiar foes: Luis Enrique and Diego Simeone have gone toe to toe 14 times on the touchline, with the former posting nine wins to three for the latter.
Match preview
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Though Paris Saint-Germain began their latest quest to claim a first Champions League trophy with a fortunate 1-0 home win against newcomers Girona, they have since picked up just one point from two subsequent matches.
Having lost 2-0 at Arsenal in London, the French champions came from behind to record a 1-1 home draw against PSV Eindhoven last time out, with Achraf Hakimi's 55th-minute leveller meaning that no fewer than 12 of their last 14 Champions League goals have come during the second half.
Luis Enrique will therefore demand that Paris step up their efforts before the break, as his record in Europe's top club competition has been mediocre since moving to France.
The ex-Barcelona boss has won just six of 15 continental contests during his time at Parc des Princes, with a win ratio of 40% being the lowest of any PSG manager to oversee at least 10 Champions League matches.
Three points adrift of the top eight - and an automatic route through to the last 16 - Paris cannot afford to slip up again on Wednesday.
As ever, their domestic form has not wavered this term, and the table-toppers remain the only Ligue 1 team still unbeaten following Saturday's 1-0 victory over Lens, secured by an early Ousmane Dembele goal.
PSG were previously 3-0 winners at 10-man Marseille in Le Classique and have won eight of their first 10 league fixtures; indeed, they have lost only one top-flight game in 2024 and are particularly tough to beat on home turf.
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Atletico Madrid will be the 10th different Spanish side Paris Saint-Germain have faced in Europe, while Atleti were unbeaten through four Champions League meetings with French clubs until faltering last month.
Beaten 3-1 on home soil by Lille, Diego Simeone's men suffered their second straight loss in this year's league phase, failing to convert their chances and being stung several times on the break.
Their campaign began promisingly, with a 2-1 home victory over Leipzig, but after enduring a 4-0 thumping by Benfica they again ended up empty-handed last time out.
Los Colchoneros have only posted three straight defeats once before in UEFA's top competition, and Simeone will be intent on avoiding that fate in the French capital, where his increasingly questioned methods will be fully put to the test.
Last season's 3-1 win at Feyenoord is Atleti's sole success in 10 Champions League away games - a period that includes seven defeats - so their safety-first approach is no longer paying dividends outside of Madrid.
Having progressed to the knockout rounds in nine of their last 11 campaigns, the pressure is on to secure at least a playoff place by finishing in the top 24, which they currently lie just outside due to goal difference.
Results in La Liga have been better, though, and the capital club were 2-0 winners against Las Palmas on Sunday, with Giuliano Simeone and Alexander Sorloth scoring to lift Atletico up to third place in the standings.
Team News
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Luis Enrique made a couple of big calls at the weekend, dropping first-choice goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma for Matvei Safonov, and bringing Spanish forward Marco Asensio back into the lineup.
The latter's return put an end to the experiment that saw Ousmane Dembele operate as a false nine, so the latter should start on the right wing. Bradley Barcola recently scored his eighth Ligue 1 goal of the season and will also feature in the final third.
Of course, conventional striker Goncalo Ramos is still unavailable due to an ankle injury sustained back in August, joining Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles) and Atletico youth product Lucas Hernandez (ACL) on the sidelines.
Atleti's attack could again include the manager's son, Giuliano Simeone, but Antoine Griezmann, Angel Correa and Alexander Sorloth are all vying for selection too.
Furthermore, big-money buy Julian Alvarez has been involved in 13 goals in 20 Champions League appearances to date, despite averaging just 50 minutes per match. However, he has scored just once and set up one goal in eight away games.
Robin Le Normand (head), Marcos Llorente (thigh) and Cesar Azpilicueta (calf) are all ruled out by injury, and Thomas Lemar remains a doubt, but Pablo Barrios started on Sunday following a short layoff with a muscle strain.
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Neves; Dembele, Asensio, Barcola
Atletico Madrid possible starting lineup:
Oblak; Molina, Witsel, Gimenez, Reinildo; De Paul, Koke, Barrios, Lino; Alvarez, Griezmann
We say: Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Atletico Madrid
In a battle between youth and experience, PSG's young guns should prevail, as Atletico Madrid are enduring an identity crisis and rarely produce their best on the road.
Only Inter Milan have fielded an older average lineup than Atleti this season, and they are clearly a declining force.
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Jonathan O'Shea
