Club Brugge vs PSG Odds & Prediction – Champions League Group Stage Matchday 1

• It is Club Brugge vs PSG in Matchday 1 of the new UEFA Champions League season on Wednesday, September 15 at 3:00 pm ET
• PSG starts as the massive favorite here in a group that also includes Manchester City and RB Leipzig
• We preview the game, look at the odds, and offer some picks below

Club Brugge entertains the mighty PSG in the opening round of the 2021-22 Champions League. This Group A clash kicks off in the Jan-Breydel-Stadion on Wednesday, September 15., KO 3:00 pm EST. The Belgians head into this group as a massive outsider, with PSG expected to battle it out with Manchester City and RB Leipzig for the two automatic qualification places.

We list the odds, preview Club Brugge vs PSG, and offer below the best picks for this Champions League opener.

Club Brugge vs PSG Odds

Odds as of September 14 at DraftKings

Brugge a Massive Outsider

While Brugge is a regular in the Champions League – this is their fourth consecutive appearance in the group stages – they have yet to make it into the knockout phase, and this time around the draw has done them no favors. They have been pitched in a frighteningly difficult group with PSG, RB Leipzig and Manchester City for company, with only the top two going through to the next phase of the competition.

Champions League is coming closer. 🔥 #CLUPSG #UCL pic.twitter.com/dMVtKdXZXn

— Club Brugge KV (@ClubBrugge) September 14, 2021

Philippe Clement’s team continues to dominate domestically and last season claimed their 17th national title and ensuring them an automatic passage into the UCL group stages. In total this will be their eighth attempt at reaching the knockout phase – so far without success – but last season was the closest they have come to doing so, missing out by just two points in a group that saw Borussia Dortmund and Lazio go through.

Brugge Heads First Division Despite Bizarre Loss

Brugge’s early exit in last season’s UCL saw them divert to the Europa League by virtue of their third-place finish, but they were knocked out by Dynamo Kyiv in the round-of-32. Even if, as expected, their stay in the UCL is limited to six group games, they will be hoping to at least make a better impression in this season’s UEL.

Hey Noa, how may I assist you? 😜 pic.twitter.com/OEfEdQZhjU

— Club Brugge KV (@ClubBrugge) September 11, 2021

Club heads into Wednesday’s game off the back of an impressive start to their Belgian title defense, although their domestic season did take a bizarre turn just before the international break when they were sensationally beaten 6-1 by Gent. They responded well though and last Friday night registered an impressive 3-0 win over KV Oostende. As a result of this win, they have a one-point lead at the top of the table.

Club Brugge vs PSG Head-to-Head Stats

Pochettino Expected to Deliver

The addition of Lionel Messi to the PSG ranks has heaped the pressure on manager Mauricio Pochettino to deliver the club’s Qatari owners a UCL trophy. Any forward line that boasts Messi, Neymar and Mbappe is expected to win every trophy going – it really is as simple as that. Added pressure for Pochettino is that they were blown away by Manchester City in last season’s semifinal; a humiliation that will have hurt.

In addition to their high expectations in the UCL, PSG also has the aim of regaining the French domestic title, after unexpectedly losing out last season to Lille. The early signs are very promising after registering five wins from five games and opening up a four-point gap to second-placed Angers, while Lille is currently 10 points adrift of PSG.

👀✈️

🏆 @ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/K0ziDYnlVn

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) September 14, 2021

PSG Lose Last Three UCL Games

At the weekend, even in the midst of what looked like a crisis – they were without ten players through injury or late returns from international duty – PSG was still able to turn on the style in despatching Clermont Foot 4-0, demonstrating in the process the strength in depth of Pochettino’s squad.

If Brugge is looking for a chink of light, it is worth noting that PSG’s recent UCL form has been less impressive though, having lost their last three games in the 2020-21 tournament (they have not lost four in a row in the UCL for three seasons) but, to counter that, Les Parisiens have not drawn a blank in their last 32 games in the group stages.

🆕📸⚫️ Training today with the new 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑑 kit training wear!

🔜 #CLUPSG pic.twitter.com/S2ISPH3TSK

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) September 13, 2021

These two teams have met before in the UCL as recently as 2019-20 – again in the group stages – with PSG enjoying a thumping 5-0 win in Brugge before coasting to a more modest 1-0 win in Paris.

Club Brugge vs PSG Prediction

The thought of going toe-to-toe with Messi, Mbappe, Neymar, and co is a terrifying prospect at any time, but with that bizarre 6-1 defeat by Gent still relatively fresh in Brugge minds, this one has the potential to go very wrong for them, especially if they concede an early goal.

But Clement’s game plan will involve his team not over-committing in forward areas and to keep a solid defensive shape throughout. Therefore, while I expect a comfortable PSG win, it will not be on a Gent scale. The 2-0 PSG win looks like decent value

Pick: PSG to win 2-0 (+650)