Champions League Preview: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Slovan Bratislava — Can PSG Rediscover Their Top-Team Form?

Which powerhouse club has performed the worst among Europe's top five leagues this season? Many would undoubtedly point to Ligue 1 powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain. After managing just two draws and one defeat in their first three rounds, earning two points and sitting 13th in the table—only one point above the two teams in the relegation zone—even Tottenham in the Premier League, after a poor start of one draw and two defeats in their first three matches with just one point and a place in the relegation zone, cannot help but draw some sympathy. However, Tottenham's struggles over the past two seasons have, overall, come with a reasonable buffer period, while in Ligue 1, aside from Paris, there seem to be no other major challengers.

Despite their poor domestic form, two-time defending champions Paris Saint-Germain are still regarded as one of the favorites to win the Champions League this new season. So, can they rediscover their form in Europe?

Paris Saint-Germain will face Slovan Bratislava in this match, which is scheduled for September 10 at 03:00, in the opening round of the Champions League group stage. Slovan Bratislava, a traditional Slovak powerhouse, have recently won eight consecutive domestic league titles. This season, they have recorded four wins and two defeats in six matches, collecting 12 points and currently sitting fourth in the Slovak top flight, four points behind league leaders DAC Dunajská Streda.

Slovan Bratislava's journey began in the second qualifying round of the Champions League, during which they eliminated Saburtalo, Mjällby and Celje to reach the main competition. However, in terms of overall squad strength, their entire team is valued at only €36.34 million, with their most valuable player, Marceli, valued at just €6.5 million. By comparison, Paris Saint-Germain have a squad value of €1.36 billion, placing them among Europe's leading clubs, with numerous star players including Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Notably, Slovan Bratislava's head coach Yaya Touré is a legendary former star who played for Barcelona and Manchester City. He served as a coaching assistant in 2021, according to the source's wording, and officially became their head coach this July, beginning a new chapter in his coaching career.

In their last 10 matches in all competitions, Paris Saint-Germain have managed just two wins, four draws and four defeats, and they have failed to win any of their last four matches, leaving them facing a serious challenge. Over the same period, Slovan Bratislava have recorded six wins, two draws and two defeats, producing an impressive run of results.

Looking back at the teams' previous meetings, they faced each other twice in the Europa League group stage during the 2011-12 season, with PSG winning one and drawing one to hold a slight advantage. For this match, Paris's 18-year-old third-choice goalkeeper Longoni will be absent through injury, but the squad is otherwise almost fully available. The focus will now turn to Enrique's starting lineup and whether the players can recover their form. In the first three rounds of Ligue 1, he tried a combination including Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia and Doué, before changing the lineup and replacing them with Ferran Torres and Akliouche. However, the results were not ideal, with the defense conceding two goals in every match.

Overall, this match is clearly crucial for boosting PSG's morale, and they urgently need a victory to bounce back.