PSG will take on Botafogo in the FIFA Club World Cup on Thursday, looking to continue their impressive run of form.

PSG picked up a comprehensive victory over Atletico Madrid in their club World Cup opener, and they will be confident of getting a good result vs Botafogo this week. On paper, the newly crowned UEFA Champions League winners will be firm favourites to pick up all three points.

It will be interesting to see if they can build on their recent run of form and grind out a comfortable victory. On the other hand, the visitors are in impressive form as well. They managed to pick up a 2-1 win over Seattle Sounders in their last FIFA Club World Cup game, and they will look to pull off an upset here.

The Brazilian outfit will be aware of the fact that PSG are one of the best teams in the world, and they will need to raise their performance levels to get the job done. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the upcoming meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

PSG

The French outfit do not have any major injury concerns apart from Ousmane Dembele. PSG are likely to shape up in a 4-3-3 formation vs Botafogo, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal.

Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes will start on the flanks, and they will look to contribute in the attack and defence. Marquinhos will start alongside Willian Pacho at the heart of the defence.

As for the midfield unit, Vitinha will look to provide control to the side alongside Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves. They will look to run the game and control the tempo from the middle of the park. Goncalo Ramos will lead the line for PSG vs Botafogo, with Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on either side of him. They will look to add pace and flair to the side.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Ruiz, Vitinha, Neves; Doue, Ramos, Kvaratskhelia

Botafogo

Matheus Martins is ruled out for Botafogo, and Joaquin Correa is struggling with fitness concerns. Apart from that, the Brazilian outfit will have a fully-fit squad to choose from.

Botafogo will start in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs PSG, with John in goal. Vitinho and Alex Telles will start as the full-backs here. They will look to keep things tight defensively and hit PSG on the break. Jair Cunha and Alexander Barboza will start in the central defensive partnership.

Gregore and Marlon Freitas will pair up in the middle of the park, and they will look to protect the central defenders and break up the opposition’s attacking moves.

Artur and Cuiabano will start on the flanks, and they will look to double down and help out at both ends of the pitch. They will look to create opportunities for the attackers and protect the full-backs as well. Jefferson Savarino will start in the hole, behind Igor Jesus, who will lead the line for Botafogo vs PSG this week.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): John; Vitinho, Cunha, Barboza, Telles; Gregore, Freitas; Artur, Savarino, Cuiabano; Jesus

Key Stats

• PSG have won their last six matches in all competitions.
• Botafogo have won their last four matches in all competitions.
• Both teams have kept three clean sheets in their last six matches.
• PSG have scored 21 goals in their last six matches.
• Botafogo have let in three goals in the last two matches.

Player to Watch

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

The PSG attacker has been in outstanding form in recent months, and he produced a strong performance against Atletico Madrid as well. He will look to create opportunities for his teammate here and find the back of the net. He is our key player to watch out for.

PSG will need him to step up and make a defining impact in the final third, especially in the absence of Ousmane Dembele. It will be interesting to see if he can create problems for the opposition defence and carve out opportunities for his teammates and himself.

Prediction

PSG 3-0 Botafogo

Both teams will be looking to pick up a win here, and this is likely to be a crunch contest. PSG cannot afford to underestimate the opposition, and they will have to put in a strong performance. However, the gulf in class between the two teams is quite significant, and the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League winners should be able to grind out a positive result here.

Botafogo are likely to put up a fight, but they are lacking in quality and depth in comparison to the French outfit. They are likely to fall short here. A comfortable victory for the French team is on the cards here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 victory for Luis Enrique and his charges.