Sporting CP Stuns PSG 2-1: Goalkeeping Blunders Prove Costly

This is the first ever European meeting between Sporting CP and Paris SG – they will be the 12th different French side Sporting have faced overall in Europe, and first since they beat Marseille 2-1 on MD3 this season in the UEFA Champions League. Paris Saint-Germain have won just one of their eight away major European matches in Portugal (D2 L5), beating Sporting Braga 1-0 in the UEFA Cup in March 2009 with a Guillaume Hoarau goal. This will be Sporting CP’s fifth UEFA Champions League match against the reigning champions, with all four previous games coming against Real Madrid in 2000-01 (D1 L1) and 2016-17 (L2). Despite having 18 shots and five big chances on MD6 against Athletic Club, Paris SG failed to find the net in a 0-0 draw. They’ve not gone consecutive games in the UEFA Champions League without a goal since the 2023-24 semi-finals against Borussia Dortmund, while in the group/league phase they last did so in 2015-16 in back-to-back matches versus Real Madrid. Sporting CP have won their last three home UEFA Champions League matches, all this season against Kairat, Marseille and Club Brugge. They have never previously won four consecutive home games in the European Cup. Paris SG have had more different goalscorers (11) than any other team in the UEFA Champions League this season (excluding own goals). Only four teams in the UEFA Champions League this season have a starting XI with an average age under 25; two of which will face off in this fixture, in the form of Sporting CP (24y 207d) and Paris SG (24y 87d). Paris Saint-Germain have not lost a UEFA Champions League match against a team from outside one of Europe’s big-five leagues since December 2013 in a 2-1 loss at Benfica – they are unbeaten in 32 matches since then (W26 D6). Sporting CP’s Geovany Quenda has been involved in five goals in his last seven home UEFA Champions League appearances (2 goals, 3 assists). He will equal Rúben Neves (16) for appearances by Portuguese teenagers in the history of the competition with his next appearance. Paris SG’s Vitinha leads all players for line-breaking passes (97) in the UEFA Champions League this season. Meanwhile, Frenkie de Jong (92.8%) is the only midfielder with a higher pass completion rate under high-intensity pressure than Vitinha (92.4% - 278/301) in the competition this term (min. 100 attempted).