Everything you need to know about Club Brugge-Paris Saint-Germain!
History, stats and keys to the match! Find out everything you need to know before the UEFA Champions League Matchday 3 clash between Club Brugge and Paris Saint-Germain kicks off at the Stade Jan-Breydel!
A little history...
This will be the first official meeting between the two teams, who have however played two friendlies, both of which the Parisians lost in Belgium (0-2 on 27/07/1996, 0-2 on 22/07/2006).
Paris Saint-Germain have played ten times against a Belgian clubs in official matches: Anderlecht (six matches), Gent (two matches) and Waterschei (two matches) for a record of five wins, four draws and only one defeat. The Parisian club have won two victories in Belgium: Champions League trips to Anderlecht (5-0 on 23/10/2013, 4-0 on 18/10/2017).
Two players have worn the jerseys of both clubs: Thomas Meunier, from 2011 to 2016, before signing for Paris, and David Rozehnal, who also left Club Brugge for Paris Saint-Germain, all the way back in 2005.
The stakes...
Paris Saint-Germain are in a favourable position after their UEFA Champions League wins over Real Madrid (3-0, on 18/09/2019) and over Galatasaray in Istanbul (1-0, on 01/10/2019) and a win in Belgium would be a huge step towards securing qualification.
Paris Saint-Germain will also aim to continue their run of scoring at least one goal per match in the competition to 26 matches. Their prolific European stretch has been in effect since 12 April, 2016 and the defeat against Manchester City (0-1).
Only four teams, including Paris Saint-Germain, have won both their UEFA Champions League group-stage matches so far: Bayern Munich (Group B), Manchester City (Group C) and Ajax Amsterdam (Group H). A success in Bruges would allow Les Rouge et Bleu to maintain their spotless start to the European season.
Thomas Tuchel will be out to continue his fine series of victories in official matches (four since losing to Reims 0-2 on 25 September last) for his 69th match at Paris Saint-Germain. With 51 wins, his record since he arrived in the capital at the beginning of the 2018-2019 season is 75% victorious.
The keys to the match...
With only six goals conceded in 13 official matches in 2019-20, including nine clean sheets, the Paris Saint-Germain defence have stood out early on in the season. The Parisians are part of a group of five European clubs that have not yet conceded a goal this season in the UEFA Champions League, alongside Manchester City (Group B), Napoli (Group E), Borussia Dortmund (Group F), and Ajax Amsterdam (Group H).
