Villarreal vs Paris Saint-Germain Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2026-27 UEFA Champions League | League Phase
by Alex Lawes ·
Villarreal have improved as the season has gone on as they now come up against back-to-back European champions Paris Saint-Germain at El Madrigal.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV & online: UK – TNT Sports & HBO Max / USA – Paramount+
Villarreal preview: Improving Villarreal
Having replaced Marcelino with Inigo Perez over the summer, Villarreal have looked to evolve their style of football and the Yellow Submarine have begun to become a better watch for the neutral as the season has gone on after a slow start.
Villarreal did succumb to a shock and frustrating defeat at the weekend, though, losing 1-0 to a then manager-less Espanyol side due to a 60th minute winner scored by versatile defender Leandro Cabrera.
Paris Saint-Germain preview: Brilliant in Europe
In the UEFA Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain have been crowned European champions in each of the last two seasons and they sit at the top of the 36-team table ahead of the fourth match day of the campaign after a brilliant start.
Having beaten Slovan Bratislava by six goals to one at the Parc des Princes, PSG have gone on to earn back-to-back 4-2 victories against fellow likely challengers Manchester City and then Barcelona.
Villarreal team news: Fresh issues
Villarreal have some fresh injury issues for this one as versatile defender Juan Foyth and key man Gerard Moreno now potentially unavailable alongside Nathan Saliba and Ilias Akhomach.
Predicted XI (4-4-2): Gulacsi; Mourino, Navarro, Veiga, Cardona; Buchanan, Comesana, Gueye, Moleiro; Mikautadze, Oluwaseyi
Unavailable:
Questionable: Foyth (Injured), Saliba (Fitness), Akhomach (Injured), Gerard (Injured)
Paris Saint-Germain team news: UCL injuries
In their last UEFA Champions League game against Barca the other week, Marquinhos and Ousmane Dembele sustained injuries and remain absent with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia suffering an ACL injury, too, and requiring surgery.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Safonov; Hakimi, Zabarnyi, Pacho, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz; Doue, Torres, Akliouche
Unavailable: Marquinhos (Injured), Mendes (Injured), Kvaratskhelia (Injured), Dembele (Injured)
Questionable:
Villarreal vs Paris Saint-Germain prediction
In Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain struggled at the start of this season but performances have improved since the UEFA Champions League got up and running. The Parisians put in an impressive display to hammer Le Havre by five goals to one at Stade Oceane after they had gone behind. Villarreal, as they did when they took a 2-0 lead in an eventual 4-3 loss to Liverpool at Anfield a couple of weeks ago, are expected to get themselves on the front foot here and so a high-scoring contest seems a decent bet with the champions remaining firm favourites.
Villarreal vs Paris Saint-Germain Tip: Paris Saint-Germain to win & over 2.5 goals
