Two-time European champions Paris Saint-Germain open the defence of their Champions League crown against Slovan Bratislava at Parc des Princes on Wednesday
Match Preview
PSG will be desperate to use Wednesday’s league phase opener as a reset button.
Only the second club to retain the Champions League in the modern era, after Real Madrid’s run between 2016 and 2018, the Parisians beat Monaco, swept aside Chelsea and Liverpool, and edged past Bayern Munich last season before needing penalties to see off Arsenal in a repeat final, following a tense 1-1 draw in Budapest.
PSG really did a 2peat UCL trophy and saved football last season in btw https://t.co/ZuM2LYJIP7
— ACE🐎 (@UTD__Ace) September 6, 2026
Domestically, though, the champions have hit a rare rocky patch.
Since lifting the UEFA Super Cup with a 2-1 win over Aston Villa, Luis Enrique’s side have lost the Trophée des Champions to Lens, drawn back-to-back away games at Rennes and Lille, and were then beaten 2-1 at home by Monaco last time out.
That leaves PSG winless in four matches stretching back into the new season, with only two points from a possible nine in Ligue 1, though club captain Marquinhos has kept the goals ticking over with strikes in consecutive outings.
🚨 𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗭𝗬 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧: PSG are currently NOT in Ligue 1’s top 10 after 3 matchdays.
Luis Enrique’s side have had a very tough start, with not a single win in their league so far. pic.twitter.com/0OtLMzlxun
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) September 5, 2026
Slovan Bratislava arrive in Paris simply relieved to be competing in the league phase again after a torrid debut campaign in 2024-25, when they finished second-bottom of the 36-team table having lost all eight of their matches.
Under new manager Yaya Touré, the first African coach to guide a club through qualifying into the league phase, Slovan fought back from a 1-1 first-leg draw to beat Slovenia’s Celje in the play-off round, sealing their spot with a 100th-minute winner in extra time.
Domestic form has cooled since then, with the Slovak champions losing back-to-back league games to slip to fourth in the table, most recently a 2-0 defeat to FC DAC 1904. Slovan’s only previous visit to Parc des Princes came in the 2011-12 Europa League, when they lost 1-0, and Wednesday represents an altogether different challenge against the two-time reigning European champions.
Team News
PSG have freshened up their forward line over the summer, bringing in Mika Godts, Maghnes Akliouche and World Cup final hero Ferran Torres, while selling Bradley Barcola to Liverpool for a club-record fee.
That has left Luis Enrique with a genuine selection headache in attack, where Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia continue to compete for starting spots alongside the new arrivals.
Kvaratskhelia was PSG’s standout performer even in defeat to Monaco, having racked up 16 goal involvements in as many Champions League appearances last season, a club record for a single campaign.
At the back, Nuno Mendes is available again after serving a three-match domestic suspension following his red card against Lens, and is expected to return at left-back in place of Warren Zaïre-Emery, who had been filling in there.
2 days to go. 👀#UCL pic.twitter.com/qZj1oPKvKd
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) September 7, 2026
Lucas Digne remains a doubt after a difficult start to life back in Paris, but no fresh injury concerns have been confirmed by the club.
Slovan Bratislava have a clean bill of health heading into the trip, with Andraz Sporar expected to shake off recent fitness worries to lead the line.
Touré’s side head into the game on the back of consecutive league defeats, but they showed their capacity to raise their game against superior opposition during qualifying.
PSG vs Slovan Bratislava Predicted XI
PSG Predicted XI:
Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Vitinha, João Neves, Fabián Ruiz; Doué, Kvaratskhelia, Dembélé
Slovan Bratislava Predicted XI:
Takáč; Blackman, Bajrić, Marković, Cruz; Ibrahim, Pokorný, Martínez; Barseghyan, Sporar, Camara
Score Prediction
PSG 3-0 Slovan Bratislava
