Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier says the upcoming Champions League campaign will be a "new page" for the club but a "new book" for himself having learned the identity of their group stage opponents.
PSG were pitted against Juventus, Benfica and Maccabi Haifa in Group H in Thursday's draw as the club once again try to finally end their wait to lift European club football's most coveted prize.
Galtier does have previous experience of the Champions League, coaching Lille in the 2019-20 competition. However, being at the helm of a club expected to contend to win the tournament is a new experience for the former Saint-Etienne and Nice boss.
Asked how he is feeling ahead of his second Champions League campaign, Galtier said: "It's a new page for PSG, it's a new book for me. I am very motivated and determined, while staying focused. When you are the PSG coach, you want to be involved in these type of games.
"We know about the exposure and pressure in these games, I have not really felt it yet, but it will come. I'm looking forward to it, being involved in the competition and these big European evenings."
PSG are set to face an extremely congested fixture list as they juggle domestic and European commitments before the pause for the World Cup in November.
Speaking ahead of Sunday's Ligue 1 clash with Monaco, Galtier confirmed PSG are still looking to add quality players to a squad packed with world-class talent to ensure they are ready for the rigours of their schedule.
"There are players in our squad that are closer to leaving, we are also hoping to bring players in," he said. "We have singled out the positions where we are still looking to strengthen with quality players, but will that happen or not? I don't know.
"The later it gets, the harder it is to integrate them, but players who join PSG are top quality and have the ability to settle in quickly.
"The quicker they arrive the better, but there is still uncertainty there, and I am not the only one and we are not the only big club in this situation. We have to adapt and ensure we have the best possible squad to perform as well as we can in all competitions."
PSG midfielder Leandro Paredes has been linked with Juventus and goalkeeper Keylor Navas is the subject of speculation over a move to Napoli. There has also been talk of a late final PSG push to sign Inter defender Milan Skriniar, a player frequently connected with the club.
"In terms of Leandro Paredes, nothing is done at the moment, we will see how it goes by the end of the transfer window, there are lots of conversations going on," said Galtier.
"I know Leandro has been in talks with Juventus, which is normal. At the moment, Leandro Paredes is a PSG player and has been heavily involved in our games.
"As for Keylor Navas, he is a PSG player, he got injured last week before the game, he is playing normally and he will be in the squad.
"As for the Inter player you mentioned, I have no comment to make."
Los Angeles FC v Portland Timbers: Neville relishing swift rematch
Phil Neville is looking forward to a quick reunion with Los Angeles FC when the Portland Timbers head down to southern California.
The Timbers face LAFC on Saturday, just two weeks after they drew 2-2 with Steve Cherundolo’s team at home.
Felipe Mora and Evander scored for Portland that day, but Mateusz Bogusz’s double ensured a share of the spoils, with the Timbers having goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau sent off.
LAFC had a goal disallowed late on, and Neville believes both teams will feel they deserved more from that match.
He said: “Both managers came out of the game two weeks ago feeling hard done by – they had a goal disallowed in the last few minutes, we were really disappointed too in the performance of the referee.
“Saturday’s another game where we have to go for it. When you play teams really close together, there’s not much scouting, there’s only been one game between, so it’s about remembering the good things we did and how we can cause problems.”
Portland drew 2-2 with the Columbus Crew last time out, and Neville is satisfied with the level on show from his side, who sit down in 11th in the Western Conference.
“We took a lot of confidence out of the game against Columbus,” he said.
“We came up with chances to win the game, but we were beaten by an incredible goal. The boys are in really good shape, they’re looking forward to the game on Saturday – my first trip to LAFC so I’m looking forward to that. It’s another brilliant game against a really good team. We played them a couple of weeks ago. We know each other, both teams know each other.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LAFC – Denis Bouanga
Bouanga scored both of LAFC’s goals against the New York Red Bulls last time out, including the equaliser in stoppage time. It was the eighth time Bouanga has scored multiple goals in an MLS match since the start of last season (incl. playoffs). No other player has more than four multi-goal games in that time.
Portland Timbers – Felipe Mora
Mora has scored in each of his last four appearances for the Timbers, though Portland have not won any of those matches (D3 L1). Mora is the fifth player in the post-shootout era (since 2000) to score in four straight matches but not be on the winning side in any of them.
MATCH PREDICTION: LAFC WIN
LAFC are unbeaten in eight straight home matches (W6 D2) in all competitions. They have scored multiple goals in seven of those eight matches.
However, LAFC have won only two of their last 10 regular-season matches against the Timbers (D4 L4).
The Timbers have scored in all 14 meetings with LAFC in league play since 2019 while LAFC have scored in 13 of those 14.
Portland are winless in six straight matches (D3 L3), including drawing the last three in a row. The Timbers have only three longer winless runs within a single regular season, most recently an eight-match run in March-April 2014.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
LAFC – 56.2%
Portland Timbers – 19.5%
Draw – 24.3%
Brighton 0-4 Manchester City: Foden at the double as champions leapfrog Liverpool
Phil Foden scored twice as Manchester City leapfrogged Liverpool and kept the Premier League title race in their own hands by thrashing Brighton 4-0.
Foden moved onto 16 league goals for the season with a first-half brace at the Amex Stadium, seeing a free-kick deflect past a wrongfooted Jason Steele before stroking home after some reckless play from the Seagulls.
De Bruyne had earlier given City the lead with what was his 68th Premier League goal but the first with his head, as Pep Guardiola's men made light of Erling Haaland's injury-enforced absence.
Julian Alvarez added a fourth as City pulled two points clear of Liverpool and within one of Arsenal with a game in hand, knowing five further wins will guarantee they retain their crown.
Brighton, meanwhile, stay in the bottom half with 44 points, having been surpassed by Bournemouth on Wednesday.
Nathan Ake could not keep his shot down when presented with the first half-chance after a low-key start, but City went ahead with a brilliant goal after 17 minutes.
Foden slipped Kyle Walker in on the right flank, and De Bruyne watched the full-back's cross all the way before sending a wonderful diving header into the top-right corner.
There was more fortune about City's second, which arrived just nine minutes later as Foden's free-kick deflected in off Pascal Gross amid Brighton complaints about how Foden won the set-piece.
Brighton only had themselves to blame when Foden got his second after 34 minutes, though. Valentin Barco conceded possession cheaply on the edge of his area, and Foden swept the loose ball into the bottom-left corner.
Ederson denied Joao Pedro as Brighton improved in the second half, but City had further daylight just after the hour mark, Walker breaking in behind and beating Steele to a loose ball, with Alvarez on hand to turn home.
Brighton were enraged when Josko Gvardiol avoided conceding a penalty for a clumsy challenge on Pedro, who skewed wide late on as City – who went close to a fifth through Jeremy Doku late on and face struggling Nottingham Forest next – claimed a statement win.
Foden's star still rising
Foden has emerged as the favourite to be crowned Premier League Player of the Season, and he has gone up a gear in the run-in, also scoring a hat-trick on his last league appearance when City thrashed Aston Villa 4-1 earlier this month.
He was in imperious form again on Thursday, even if Brighton's fans were not happy with the way he went down for the free-kick that ultimately resulted in his first goal.
That strike was Foden's 50th in the Premier League, making him just the third player to score 50 top-flight goals under Guardiola while aged 23 or younger, after Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.
It is no wonder Brighton's fans are sick of the sight of the England man; he has eight goals in his last eight Premier League appearances against the Seagulls, more than he has scored against any other club in the competition.
Seagulls' wings clipped
Hampered by injuries to the likes of Pervis Estupinan, Kaoru Mitoma and Evan Ferguson, Brighton have seen their European hopes falter in recent weeks and now appear to be limping to the finishing line.
Roberto De Zerbi's team are winless in their last five Premier League games (two draws, three defeats) and sit six points adrift of the top seven with matches against Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Manchester United to come.
Brighton have even seen their supply of goals dry up, scoring just four times in eight league matches since thrashing Sheffield United 5-0 in February.
Foden matches Messi and Haaland feat with 50th league goal under Guardiola
Phil Foden equalled the feats of Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland when he scored his 50th league goal as Manchester City stormed into a 3-0 lead against Brighton.
Foden scored twice in the first half at the Amex Stadium on Thursday, setting Pep Guardiola's team on the way to a potentially pivotal win in the Premier League title race.
The England international's first, which came after Kevin De Bruyne's excellent diving header, came as his free-kick deflected in off the unfortunate Pascal Gross.
It was that goal that marked Foden's 50th in league football, with all of those coming under Guardiola.
That makes Foden just the third player to score 50 league goals under Guardiola while aged 23 or younger, after City team-mate Haaland and Barcelona great Messi.
Foden netted his 51st Premier League goal soon after, drilling in after City capitalised on some slack Brighton play.
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