Paris Saint-Germain will have their hands full when they face Arsenal on Tuesday night at Emirates Stadium. Ahead of the clash, midfielder Declan Rice shared his thoughts on the matchup as the Parisians look to secure a road win.
The Premier League team are heading into this match with a two-game winning streak, thanks to their recent victories over Bolton Wanderers and Leicester City. Manager Luis Enrique has a lot to think about as they sit third in the Premier League table heading into the marquee contest of the matchday.
When UEFA scrapped the previous group stage format for this new league phase, it did so with the idea that these types of matchups would occur early in the competition. Moreover, Rice agrees that this new setup does create more competition as the 36 teams are vying for the eight automatic spots for the knockout stage.
“It is a different format now, but we are coming up against probably tougher teams than you normally would in a group stage format,” Rice said (h/t The Independent). “We have got tougher teams now.
“We have got an exciting night here, which is our second game. Usually, you would find these games in the quarter-finals or semi-finals, so for it to be our second game is massive.
“It is a big game because we need to get points on the board in this new format. We will be ready and we are excited, because we have not played PSG before. They are a top team, so we will be ready for that one.”
Arsenal is looking for a win in this matchup after settling for a draw against Atalanta on Matchday 1. Another draw or a loss would put them in a tough spot, keeping them out of the top eight spots that guarantee a place in the knockout stage.
On the other hand, PSG would love to build on their opening win against Girona, so a draw or a win would be the perfect outcome for them.