Paris Saint-Germain supporters may be transfixed on the match against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League, but it’s important to remember that there is still plenty of business to attend to before that date against the Germans.
Before kicking off against Dortmund, PSG must play five matches in both Ligue 1 and the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France. The gauntlet of matches begins on Saturday against Montpellier HSC at the Parc des Princes and ends with a match at Amiens SC on February 15. The full schedule is below:
- February 1, Saturday, 11:30 AM EST, Ligue 1: PSG vs. Montpellier HSC
- February 4, Tuesday, 3:05 PM EST, Ligue 1: FC Nantes vs. PSG
- February 9, Sunday, 3:00 PM EST, Ligue 1: PSG vs. Olympique Lyonnais
- February 12, Wednesday, 12:30 PM EST, Coupe de France: Dijon FCO vs. PSG
- February 15, Saturday, 11:30 AM EST, Ligue 1: Amiens SC vs. PSG
With that schedule, you can see that PSG will be forced to play two consecutive away matches in France before boarding a plane for a pivotal Champions League match against a high-powered Dortmund side (February 18, Tuesday, 3:00 PM EST).
Dortmund has it a bit easier. They play one less match before PSG comes to town and they host Eintracht Frankfurt on February 14. They will certainly be the more rested of the two teams.
Manager Thomas Tuchel will have some tough decisions to make with his starting lineups before facing his former club. He will try and balance keeping his best players in form while also resting them and making sure they don’t pick up an injury that could keep them out for the tie against Dortmund.
Tuchel and the players have a lot to prove in the Champions League this season and French football has done them zero favors with this upcoming fixture list. That’s a discussion for another day but if PSG can advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, they will have absolutely earned it.
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