Apoel Nicosia vs. PSG: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

Paris Saint-Germain will travel to Cyprus to take on APOEL Nicosia on Matchday 3 of the 2014-15 UEFA Champions League, as the French champions look to jump-start their campaign following some sloppy form.

PSG lead Group F thanks to their big win over Barcelona on Matchday 2 but have struggled outside that match, managing only a draw against Ajax and losing the top spot in the French Ligue 1.

APOEL are hardly giant slayers but have been dominant as usual in the Cypriot league, and with history on their side when it comes to playing French clubs, the minnows will like their chances of coming away with the upset.

Date: Tuesday, October 21

Time: 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET

Venue: GSP Stadium, Nicosia

TV info and live stream: The match will be broadcast via Sky Sports Red Button (for UK viewers) and on Fox Soccer Plus, with mobile coverage available via the Sky Go app and Fox Soccer 2Go.

Preview

Petros Karadjias/Associated Press

The hosts may look like they have no chance of winning on paper, but as reported by UEFA's official website, they have an excellent home reputation when it comes to playing clubs from the French top division.

APOEL defeated Olympique Lyon 1-0 in 2012 and got past Bordeaux 2-1 last season, and with PSG slumping, they'll like their chances of adding a third big scalp.

Les Parisiens are off the pace in Ligue 1, behind Marseille, due to a series of lackluster performances, winning just two of their last six matches, via WhoScored.com. A 3-1 win over RC Lens was sorely needed over the weekend, but once again, the defending champions failed to convince.

Laurent Blanc wasn't happy with what he saw from his players, and he didn't hide that sentiment when talking to Canal+ after the game, via Goal's Matthew Rogerson:

"

It is a difficult game to analyse. The second half, even with mitigating circumstances, did not satisfy me.

I regret the lack of ambition that my team showed after the third goal, but the pitch was difficult and there were also physical problems as well. 

Subconsciously we wanted to preserve [the lead] but it does not please me. I'm happy with the win, that's the most important thing.

"

It's a pattern that has continued to haunt PSG: uninspired performances once the squad has taken a lead, often leading to late equalisers. Against APOEL, Blanc will be demanding his players finally put away their opponents instead of allowing them to claw their way back into the match.

As shared by Bleacher Report's French football expert Jonathan Johnson, PSG will welcome star defender Thiago Silva back into the team, but Zlatan Ibrahimovich won't be fit in time:

Blaise Matuidi picked up a knock against Lens, but he's part of a group of players who will travel to Cyprus despite slight injury concerns:

Matuidi has quietly been one of the club's top performers, and the fact his injury isn't that serious means he will most likely be able to start on Tuesday, which is a blessing for PSG. Paired with Thiago Motta, the duo should be able to control the play in midfield, not allowing APOEL to bring as much pressure as Ajax did in their meeting with the Parisians.

Edinson Cavani will likely receive another chance as the centre-forward in place of the injured Zlatan, ensuring the French champions won't face too much of a drop-off in scoring quality.

Prediction: APOEL 1-2 PSG

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