This week, the second round of group stage matches begins in the UEFA Champions League. The return legs will be played in groups A-H.
The first appearances will be made on Tuesday by clubs from groups A-D. Undoubtedly, the most attention this time will be focused on the match in Naples, where the local team "Napoli" will host Parisian "Saint-Germain".
The situation in their group is quite complicated - alongside the two giants, "Liverpool" is also pushing for a spot in the quarter-finals, so it is very likely that one of the clubs playing in Naples today will end up outside the Champions League border.
Interesting matches are also expected in Milan, where "Inter" will host "Barcelona", and in Madrid, where "Atletico" will try to seek revenge against Dortmund's "Borussia".
The clash between "Napoli" and PSG clubs will kick off at 10 pm. Stay tuned to this match report.
Team results
The first match between these teams in Paris ended in a dramatic draw. The Italian guests took the lead twice, but in the final minute, an unexpected strike from Angel Di Maria broke the hearts of the "Napoli" fans. Just a few moments later, the Italian champions could have brought themselves closer to reaching the quarter-finals.
The situation in Group C is quite complicated, although the underdog is already known - Serbian "Crvena Zvezda" has only collected one point so far. Meanwhile, "Liverpool" has 6 points, "Napoli" has 5, and PSG has 4. The failure of Parisians to reach the knockout stage, despite having Kylian Mbappe and Neymar on the team, would truly be a season tragedy.
If the PSG team is improving their records in the French championship and marching on a winning path, in Europe, Thomas Tuchel's players cannot afford such luxury - they have already lost once, played a draw, and won a match in their three games.
Over the last five matches in all competitions, PSG players have secured four victories and played a draw against "Napoli". This weekend, PSG unexpectedly encountered difficulties at home against "Lille" - they only managed to beat their opponents with a score of 2-1.
"Napoli" is following a similar path - apart from the draw in Paris, they once again stood out with a victory against "Roma" and celebrated three more wins. In their latest contest, "Napoli" dominated against "Empoli", resulting in a 5-1 win.
Dries Mertens scored a hat-trick in these matches, also punishing PSG defenders with a goal.
"Napoli" has 25 points and occupies the third position in the Italian "Serie A" championship. In turn, in the French "Ligue 1" championship, PSG has already built up an 11-point lead over their closest pursuers.
Team news
Before this match, both teams do not have major problems with their lineups. Due to injuries, "Napoli" will still be without Vlad Chiriches, Alex Meret, Simone Verdi, and Amin Younes.
There are no expected surprises in the hosts' starting lineup - Carlo Ancelotti is expected to choose to play with four defenders and two forwards. "Napoli" currently has problems in defense, where Nikola Maksimovic and Mario Rui, who are not as potent in attack, are forced to fill the gaps.
The Paris team arrives in Naples with similar problems - Dani Alves and Layvin Kurzawa are not yet fully recovered. There are still doubts about the fitness of Edinson Cavani, but it is predicted that the Uruguayan will appear in the starting lineup.
It is believed that T. Tuchel will choose a somewhat unconventional tactic for this match - playing with three central defenders. Thomas Meunier and Juan Bernat, the full-backs, will be tasked with a lot of work in attack.
Expected starting lineups:
"Napoli": (4-4-2) Ospina; Maksimovic, Albiol, Koulibaly, Mario Rui; Callejon, Allan, Hamshik, Ruiz; Mertens, Insigne.
PSG: (3-4-3) Buffon; Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Kimpembe; Meunier, Rabiot, Verratti, Bernat; Neymar, Cavani, Mbappe.
Interesting facts
The "Napoli" team, having lost two points in Paris in the last moments of the match, will be aiming for their first victory against the PSG team. Thus far, the Italians have never managed to defeat the Parisians in the UEFA Champions League - they have had two draws and one defeat.
Carlo Ancelotti's team is currently in impressive form - they have not lost a single match consecutively, scoring 18 goals and keeping a clean sheet three times.
"Napoli" have only lost twice in their last five home matches in the UEFA Champions League - they were defeated by "Manchester City" and "Real Madrid" in the presence of their own fans.
After the victory against "Crvena Zvezda", Napoli is the most prolific team in the Champions League, while PSG has scored at least one goal in 19 consecutive matches. The Parisians have scored a total of 68 goals in 16 games so far - an average of 4.25 goals per match.
Despite showing impressive form in the local championships, PSG has only managed to achieve one victory in their last five matches in the Champions League - with one draw and three defeats.
"Napoli" has only failed to score at home once in their last 17 matches in the Champions League. Meanwhile, PSG has struggled away from home almost always - they have only failed to find the back of the net once in their last 10 matches.
