Maccabi Haifa vs Paris SG prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2022-09-13 19:00.
Israeli champions Maccabi Haifa are in great domestic form with a 100% record after four rounds of Israeli Premier League action, though that is the lowest-ranked league by UEFA (#22) among all the European divisions represented in this UEFA Champions League (UCL) group stage. Fears about Maccabiâs ability to compete on the highest European stage were confirmed with a 2-0 defeat against Benfica on matchday one, perhaps psychologically damaging considering Benfica appear their most likely rival for third place in a group consisting of PSG and Juventus.
A home game is unlikely to provide any let-up for the Greens either, who lost âto-nilâ on each of their three home outings during their last UCL group stage appearance in 2009. That dreadful record included a 1-0 loss against reigning French champions at that time, Bordeaux, though that is their only home loss against French opposition to date (W3, L1).
PSG are among the three French clubs that lost an away game at Maccabi Haifa, in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, but it was in 1998. Since then, the Parisians have won eight more French Ligue 1 titles out of the last ten available, reached the UCL final for the first time in the clubâs history in 2020, and are now the bookiesâ second favourites to lift âBig Earsâ in 2023.
Christophe Galtierâs men carry some impressive away league form ahead of their trip to Israel, with five consecutive wins by three or more goals, and this game could be a golden opportunity to arrest their current five-match winless run of UCL road trips (D2, L3). However, PSG will have to do without the support of their main group of fans, the Collectif Ultras Paris, which announced the boycott of this trip due to excessive restrictions to access Israeli territory.
Players to watch: In-form Omer Atzili has scored five goals across Maccabiâs previous two home outings, and scored his teamâs opener on both occasions. Aiming to eclipse him, Kylian MbappĂ© has scored PSGâs opening goal in his previous five goalscoring away UCL appearances.
Hot streak: PSG are on a run of nine UCL away games without a clean sheet.