PSG vs Manchester City Prediction: 22/1/2025

Paris Saint-Germain is in an unfamiliar and precarious position in this season’s Champions League, sitting outside the top 24 teams that will qualify for the playoffs, with a mere two matches remaining in the group stages. With that, strong matches are needed from them in their remaining fixtures to keep their European aspirations alive. After a slim 1-0 victory over Girona in their opener, PSG has since struggled big time, falling to Arsenal 2-0, Atlético Madrid 1-2, Bayern Munich 1-0 and drawing with PSV 1-1. A win in the previous matchday against Sturm Graz provided a glimmer of hope and kept them within reach of the important 24th. In France, however, PSG remains unbeatable, comfortably seated at the top of Ligue 1 and well on the way to defending their league title. Winners of the Trophée des Champions after beating Monaco 1-0, they face Saint-Étienne and Lens before this crucial European encounter.

Manchester City, by contrast, are living one of the most difficult moments in their recent past. Battling for form, the English side recorded only one win in all competitions in two months. Thus, they lost ground in the Champions League and the Premier League. In Europe, they lie 22nd in the standing, but a step ahead of PSG.

City had started their campaign promisingly when they drew goalless against Inter before the thumping victories over Slovan Bratislava 4-0 and Sparta Prague 5-0. However, consecutive defeats to Sporting (4-1) and Juventus (2-0), and a 3-3 draw against Feyenoord, revealed the chinks in their armor. In the domestic league, City are out of the title race, lying sixth in the Premier League, and will look to close the gap on the top four with fixtures against Brentford and Ipswich Town.

PSG are likely to enter this winner-takes-all encounter with an almost full-strength squad. Defender Presnel Kimpembe remains out while recovering from a long-term injury, but other key players, such as Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, are ready for the test against City. In midfield, the trio of Vitinha, Joao Neves, and Fabian Ruiz is set to start unless Warren Zaire-Emery gets his chance. With nine goals and five assists in all competitions, Ousmane Dembélé is sure to start in attack, while Bradley Barcola may still get the nod despite a recent loss of form. Either Désiré Doué or Gonçalo Ramos, the latter with his recent performances, may be started at center-forward.

Manchester City is still without the influential Rodri, whose lack of presence has somewhat unbalanced them. Defender Rúben Dias and young winger Oscar Bobb also might be missing. However, goalkeeper Ederson and defender John Stones are likely to return for this important match. Up front, Erling Haaland still leads the most dangerous line for City, netting 16 goals in the Premier League and five in the Champions League. Despite his incredible form, the rest of the City attack has underperformed, with midfielder Mateo Kova\rić emerging as the team’s second-highest scorer in the league with just three goals.

With City’s recent spate of high-scoring away matches in the Champions League, netting 22 in their last five games, and PSG’s history of thrilling home matches, seeing over 2.5 goals scored in 15 of their last 20 games, this will be a match full of action.

Prediction

PSG is expected to edge past Manchester City with a 2-1 victory, leveraging their home advantage and solid lineup. City, while capable of scoring, may struggle to match PSG’s intensity in this crucial fixture.

Prediction: PSG 2 – 1 Manchester City