City, PSG set to stumble soon
It all looks straightforward for Manchester City and PSG this weekend but the respective log leaders in England and France have to slip up sometime and it could be sooner rather than later.
Both Manchester City and Paris St Germain have yet to deliver a return on investment in Champions League, but their dominance is growing at home. City will be expected to make it 12 wins out of 14 when they host Bournemouth on Saturday and keep up their unbeaten record as they head towards Christmas and a clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge next weekend.
That Liverpool are also unbeaten keeps the title race alive, otherwise the outcome of the Premiership would be virtually all over bar the shouting even at this early stage in the campaign. That said the Reds face a resurgent Everton on Sunday in the always compelling Merseyside derby.
In France, PSG have won 14 of 14 in Ligue 1 and are already 15 points clear of the chasing pack. Don’t bother betting on the outcome there as PSG continue to extend the record for the best start to a French league campaign.
But for both clubs a halt, albeit temporarily, to these dominant runs is inevitable. It is just a question of when - and usually it happens when least expected.
This Sunday PSG go to play against one of their traditional rivals in Girondins Bordeaux, who have had a notably topsy-turvy season already. They fired coach Gus Poyet in August after he made an angry outburst following the club’s decision to sell star asset Gaëtan Laborde without his knowledge.
He accused the club hierarchy of “trying to kill me from behind to make me leave” and was dismissed, his comments having “exceeded the limits” according to the club president, Stéphane Martin.
Initially, the Bordeaux squad refused to train in support of their coach. Matters have since improved, but they have not won in their last seven outings and sit mid-table.
But TAB soccer pool players should not dismiss their chances of causing an upset against star-studded PSG. There is a long history between the clubs that suggests this could be the fixture that stops the Parisian juggernaut.
Bournemouth, likewise, are also capable of producing a surprise result, particularly given City will have played in France in the UEFA Champions League in midweek and could be jaded.
Bordeaux and Bournemouth are both longshots, but it’s an appropriate time to start betting against the unbeaten records of the cash-flush league leaders on either side of the Channel. Or at least consider the draw option in both matches.