Paris Saint-Germain head to Villarreal as strong favourites for their Champions League match on Tuesday, riding a wave of five consecutive victories and a commanding lead at the top of Ligue 1. Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Le Havre 5-1 last Saturday, a result that bolsters squad confidence ahead of a key European fixture.
The Parisian side sits first in Ligue 1 with 20 points from nine games, holding a two-point advantage over Lille. This positive momentum is built on a prolific attack, with 21 goals scored this season, and a defence that has conceded ten. Ferran Torres, with four goals, is the club's top scorer in the league.
An attack in form
The comprehensive win at Le Havre (5-1) featured a hat-trick from Achraf Hakimi, who scored in the 28th, 55th and 69th minutes. The right-back also provided two assists, for Mika Godts and Senny Mayulu. The latter, also a scorer against Lyon (2-0), confirms his rising influence. The usual starting eleven, in a 4-3-3 formation, relies on a central defensive pairing of Zabarnyi and Hernández, in front of goalkeeper Safonov. The team has on average needed just 52 minutes to open the scoring in Ligue 1 this season, an attacking tempo they will hope to replicate in Spain.
Villarreal, meanwhile, have mixed form, coming off a 1-0 Liga defeat to Espanyol in their last outing. The Spaniards typically field a back four with Pau Navarro and youngster Renato Veiga, ahead of goalkeeper Gulácsi. Their attack leans on the experience of Gerard Moreno and the promise of Mikautadze.
The match at the Estadio de la Cerámica is scheduled for Tuesday at 21:00 local time. A win would allow Paris Saint-Germain to consolidate their position in the Champions League group stage, before returning to a busy Ligue 1 schedule, which sees them travel to Monaco on November 3. Their last European success was a 4-2 victory over Manchester City on 14 October, evidence of the team's ability to shine on the continental stage.
