The French giants travel to Israel for an interesting Matchday 2 showdown as Mbappe and Co. look to make it back-to-back wins in Europe.

Another round of UEFA Champions League fixtures is upon us. Tuesday saw the thrilling Bayern Munich vs Barcelona fixture take place, with the German giants triumphing 2-0 while Liverpool finally returned to winning ways, beating Ajax 2-1. Wednesday will see another continental heavyweight take to the field and they are PSG, with the French side locking horns with Maccabi Haifa on Matchday 2.

Galtier's men enter this clash on the back of a lovely four-game winning streak and will look to make it back-to-back victories in Europe this season. Les Parisiens kicked off their continental campaign last week, taking on Juventus in an exciting Parc des Princes showdown, with star man Kylian Mbappe once again showing his worth on the pitch.

The Frenchman scored both goals en route to a 2-1, with the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner combining well with Neymar for the first goal. However, the issue of Mbappe's alleged rift with the Brazilian was rehashed due to a second half incident in which he failed to set up the Selecao ace for a tap-in after a brilliant counter attack, instead opting to take the shot from a tight angle, much to the anger of Neymar.

Nonetheless, it was another three points for Galtier's men, who have only failed to win once so far this season. The French giants kicked off the season with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Nantes in the Trophee des Champions. Since then, PSG have played seven times and have won all but one of those matches, with the sole slip-up being the 1-1 draw at home to Monaco.

Their most recent outing was the weekend clash with Brest, a game which was decided by a brilliant Neymar goal. The Brazilian controlled an exquisite pass from fellow South American sensation Lionel Messi and smashed it past the opposition keeper to maintain the club's lead at the top over Marseille, though it's only due to a superior goal difference.

As for the home side, they are the David in this story, welcoming Goliath to Israel in the hopes of picking up a point or three despite all the odds being against them. The fact that the Greens last featured in a UEFA Champions League group stage game 13 years ago is proof of the uphill battle they are facing.

Last season, Barak Bakhar's side were in the UEFA Europa Conference League and failed to make it out of the group stage. Will they pull off a miraclous result when PSG pay them a visit? If their opening day performance is something to go by, then it could be a long night at the Sammy Ofer Stadium.

The Israeli outfit took on Benfica on Matchday 1 and despite putting in a gallant display against the Portuguese giants, entering the break tied 0-0, Maccabi Haifa would eventualy go on to lose that fixture, conceding against Rafa Silva and Alex Grimaldo en route to a 2-0 defeat.

However, if the hosts need to draw inspiration from somewhere, they need not look further than their domestic form as they currently top the Israeli Premier League. The UEFA Champions League participants beat Sekzia Ness Ziona 3-1 over the weekend to maintain their perfect start to the season, picking up four wins out of four and sitting two points ahead of their closest rivals, Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Team news

Maccabi Haifa: Ali Mohamed picked up an injury in the defeat to Benfica and should miss this tie while Suf Podgoreanu is out with an Achilles injury. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Jaber is yet to return from his fractured femur.

PSG: Presnel Kimpembe, who endured a mixed performance against Brest, will miss this game after suffering a hamstring injury over the weekend. Additionally, Keylor Navas is out with a back issue but the Costa Rican goalkeeper was unlikely to displace Donnarumma anyways. Renato Sanches is also out, meaning Fabian Ruiz could make his UEFA Champions League debut for his new club.

Key stats

  • Maccabi Haifa have lost seven group stage games in a row and could become only the second team in history to lose eight on the trot without scoring.

  • PSG have faced this Israeli side twice before and are yet to beat them, drawing once and losing the other encounter.

  • The French giants are on a five-game winless run away from home in the UEFA Champions League.

  • If Mbappe and Co. score on Wednesday, it will be the 40th consecutive group stage game in which they find the back of the net, equaling the record set by Real Madrid.

Broadcast listings

 

Match details, result and original broadcast info

Maccabi Haifa 1 - 3 PSG

September 14, 2022 3:00pmSammy Ofer Stadium (Haifa)

This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.

Live TV coverage and streaming in United States

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