PSG vs. Malmo: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info

Paris Saint-Germain get their Champions League campaign underway on Tuesday night as they welcome Swedish side Malmo FF to the Parc des Princes on Matchday 1.

The hosts are overwhelming favourites to finish in the top two and reach the knockout stage. They will be delighted to start the campaign at home, rather than with a tough away trip like last season against Dutch side Ajax.

PSG’s 100 percent league record was ended on Friday night when Bordeaux came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw in Paris.

Malmo will take inspiration from that after showing a similar passion and desire against Celtic in the playoff round. They lost the first leg 3-2 in Glasgow but stunned the Scottish champions 2-0 in the return leg to qualify for the group stage.

After starting the season strong—winning five out of eight games— The Himmelsblatt have lost four and drawn five from their last 13 matches in the Allsvenskan.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was rested against Bordeaux to make sure he could play against the club where his career started. It will be a nice moment for the Swedish forward to come up against his international teammates, but the 34-year-old will be all business on Tuesday night.

Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Time: 7:45 p.m. BST (2:45 p.m. ET)

Venue: Parc des Princes, Paris

TV Info: BT Sport (UK), Fox Sports (U.S.)

Live Stream: Fox Soccer2Go (U.S.)

Form Lines 

PSG – Bordeaux 2-2 (Ligue 1)	Malmo - Elfsborg 1-1 (Allsvenskan)
Monaco – PSG 0-3 (Ligue 1)	Helsingborg - Malmo 0-3 (Allsvenskan)
Montpellier – PSG 0-1 (Ligue 1)	Malmo - Celtic 2-0 (Champions League)
PSG – Gazelec 2-0 (Ligue 1)	Hacken - Malmo 1-0 (Allsvenskan)
Lille – PSG 0-1 (Ligue 1)	Celtic 3-2 Malmo (Champions League)

Serge Aurier is suspended for PSG going into the first group game, he will either be replaced by Gregory van der Wiel or Brazilian Marquinhos. Ibrahimovic will return to the starting lineup and spearhead Laurent Blanc’s 4-3-3 attack.

Lucas Moura is likely to drop to the bench, with Angel Di Maria and Edinson Cavani partnering the Swede.

@Gibney_A

There are no injury worries for Malmo coach Age Hareide going into the away trip. The Swede’s played 4-4-2 in both legs against Celtic, and with nothing to lose they could stick to what they know.

Oscar Lewicki and Markus Rosenberg have both been under the weather with a cold this week, but both are expected to start in Paris.

Rosenberg was vital in Malmo’s qualification through the playoff round and his ability to test the PSG defence will play a huge part in their chances of causing an upset.

Predicted Formations

PSG (4-3-3): Kevin Trapp; Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Maxwell; Thiago Motta, Marco Verratti, Blaise Matuidi; Angel Di Maria, Edinson Cavani, Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Malmo (4-4-2): Johan Wiland; Anton Tinnerholm, Kari Arnason, Rasmus Bengtsson, Victor Yotun; Vladimir Rodic, Oscar Lewicki, Enoch Kofi Adu, Jo Inge Berget; Nikola Durdic, Markus Rosenberg

Player to Watch

@Gibney_A

It sounds predictable, but all eyes will be on Ibrahimovic on Tuesday night. After an excellent preseason, the expectations were high that the Swede could enjoy a less stop/start campaign.

Injury has meant that he has already missed four out of PSG’s five Ligue 1 fixtures, but missing Bordeaux on Friday was deemed more precautionary so that he could play against his old club.

Speaking to UEFA.com, teammate Matuidi gave an insight as to what it is like playing with the Swedish talisman:

“It's great. He's an amazing player. You improve a lot with him because he likes to win and hates losing. That's something he's taught everyone at the club. He's also a funny guy who likes to joke when the time is right.”

His will to win can inspire his teammates, and PSG will definitely need that quality come the latter stages of the competition, but for Zlatan to have any impact, he needs to play regularly to gain much needed consistency.

That has been lacking over the past 12 months and he will hope to kick off his season against the team where it all started.

Key Battle

JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/Getty Images

Without Aurier, Blanc has a decision to make. Marquinhos started at centre-back against Bordeaux on Friday and he could easily move into the right-back slot, but Van der Wiel would provide more of an attacking threat down that flank.

It may come down to the threat provided by the visitors. Norwegian Jo Inge Berget scored twice for Malmo at Celtic Park back in August, and his industry down the left proved crucial.

Playing against Croatia for his country last week, Berget scored his first international goal in Norway’s 2-0 win, no doubt he will be full of confidence going into the opening group game.

Given space down the left, Berget has the ability to cause any side problems. Blanc will need to make sure he makes the right decision on Tuesday night.

Odds (via Odds Shark)

Home win: 2/15

Away win: 14/1

Draw: 6/1