Manuel Pellegrini will lock horns with Laurent Blanc in the technical area with both managers looking to make most of the occasion as PSG will look to take a lead into the return leg and Manchester City will look to get the all-important away goal.

Kickoff and Live Telecast

Channel: Ten Action (now known as Ten 2)

Date and Time: 7 April 2016, 12.15 AM. IST

Venue: Parc des Princes, Paris

Live Streaming: Ten Sports

Betting Odds: PSG - 7/10 Man City - 17/4 Draw - 3/1 (Bet365)

Team News:

Paris Saint-Germain:

The Parisians will be without a couple of key players as Marco Veratti and Javier Pastore miss out due to injury. Angel Di Maria has been passed fit and will look to slot right into the starting line-up which would mean Edinson Cavani may have to settle for a place on the bench.

Serge Aurier has been named into the squad for the game but could still sit out having been under immense scrutiny since engaging in an ill-advised public outburst against manager Laurent Blanc, way back in February.

Manchester City

With Joe Hart returning from injury and Kevin De Bruyne set to start the game, Manchester City have finally received the sort of fitness boost they would have hoped for.

However, the Manchester side will still be without key players Raheem Sterling, Fabian Delph, Vincent Kompany and maybe even Yaya Toure with all these players struggling with injury. Samir Nasri is available for selection for the game.

Probable Line-ups

Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Trapp; Marquinhos, Luiz, Silva, Maxwell; Matuidi, Motta; Di Maria, Rabiot, Moura; Ibrahimovic

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Hart; Sagna, Mangala, Otamendi, Clichy; Fernando, Fernandinho; Silva, De Bruyne, Navas; Aguero

Form

Paris Saint-Germain

The Parisian side enter this game in good form, having wrapped up the domestic title in record time. Their recent form across all competitions has been impressive as well with three wins, a loss and a draw.

The loss came to a resilient Monaco side in the Ligue 1 and remains a rare blip on an otherwise incredible run of form at the Parc des Princes. The draw was at home to Montpellier. The Parisian side has scored a massive 15 goals in their last 5 games in all competitions, 9 of which however came against a hapless Troyes side.

Last 5 Matches: D-W-W-L-W ( Last match: Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 Nice)

Manchester City

Manchester City haven’t really had the best of times when it comes down to their current form with a list of hapless performances as well as bad results. Their recent run of form has pushed them off the pace in the title race in the Premier League and threatens to derail their push for a top-four finish as well.

However, their last game at Bournemouth seems to have raised the confidence in a side still riddled with injuries. While, Manchester City have only lost once in their last five games, they’ve had some atrocious results against the likes of Norwich as well.

Last 5 Matches: W-D-D-L-W ( Last match: Bournemouth 0-4 Manchester City)

Key Stats:

Paris Saint-Germain have scored at least two goals in each of their last four UCL matchesManchester City have failed to score in four of their last six games in all competitionsParis Saint-Germain have scored 15 goals in their last five games. Manchester City have not kept a clean sheet in seven of their eight UCL matches this season

Key Battles:

Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs Nicolas Otamendi

Zlatan Ibrahimovic continues his celestial form as he enters this game as top scorer in the Ligue 1 with a tally that exceeds second best by double the numbers.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the sort of player who can decide a game on his own and will be a key concern for a Manchester City backline that is reeling from the loss of captain Vincent Kompany to injury. In the absence of the Belgian centre-back, the responsibility of stopping the mercurial Swede will fall on the broad shoulders of Nicolas Otamendi.

Otamendi has been ever present in the Manchester City side since his arrival after an initial phase of adaptation to the rigours of the English game.

It may be difficult for any defender to completely shut out the influence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic but with his physical approach to defending, Otamendi may be on the lookout for one of his more memorable Champions League nights out.

This is going to be a battle to keep an eye out for.

Sergio Aguero vs Thiago Silva

On their day, both players are elite footballers. Capable of turning the game inside out, Sergio Aguero has struggled of late with fitness related problems and Thiago Silva will relish an opportunity of squaring off against the diminutive forward.

Thiago Silva will be key to PSG’s chances of keeping a clean sheet as they will hope to let Manchester City leave with minimal positives in a game where the Parisian sides are favourites.

Sergio Aguero however, will hope to find his groove on the night offering a beleaguered and depleted Manchester City side a chance to take the game back to the Etihad with everything to play for.

Prediction

Paris Saint-Germain are immense at home and have given little away this season. Manchester City are heavily depleted all across the park with key players either missing or not at their sharpest having just returned from or recovering from injuries.

While Manchester City could still spring a surprise or two on the night, it seems likelier that the French club will walk away with the game. Whether they take the tie itself away from Manchester City’s grasp is debatable.

Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Manchester City

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