Paris Saint-Germain look to continue their undefeated start to the 2022-23 campaign in mid-week, returning to Champions League action at Maccabi Haifa on Wednesday night. Fresh off a 1-0 win over Brest in Ligue 1 yesterday, manager Christophe Galtier will look to continue rotating his starting lineups.
“I don’t like talking about ‘substitutes’,” he said ahead of the domestic fixture. “I prefer to talk about ‘replacements’. Of course you need freshness. There will automatically be chances. Players such as Carlos Soler and Fabian Ruiz haven’t quite got their bearings yet, because they came in four days before a Champions League game. So they haven’t done much tactical work.”
Paris Saint-Germain at Maccabi Haifa FYIs
Kick: Wed. Sept 14, 8pm, Sammy Ofer Stadium
Competition: UCL Group H, Matchday 2 of 6
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PSG Team News: go here
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Google Result Probability: PSG 87% Maccabi Haifa 4% Draw 9%
UCL Group Standings: PSG: 2nd, 3pts Maccabi Haifa 4th, 0pts
Galtier explained further:
“The starting XI against Brest will be different to the one against Juventus, just as the one against Maccabi Haifa will differ from Saturday’s. You have to keep everyone involved, while keeping the team in good physical shape.”
Soler made his PSG debut, but now we’ll see Lionel Messi come back in for him on Wednesday. Here’s the rest of what we’re prognosticating.
PSG Starting XI Prediction
Donnarumma; Ramos, Marquinhos, Kimpembe; Hakimi, Vitinho, Verratti, Bernat; Messi; Mbappé, Neymar
Prediction: Paris Saint-Germain 4, Maccabi Haifa
Look for the juggernaut that is Les Parisiens to roll over the Israeli minnows
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.