On Tuesday, Paris Saint Germain and Manchester City will compete in the most anticipated match of the European club season so far. Starring the likes of Leo Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe, PSG is a diamond collector buying the most luxurious pieces on the market to make a dream come true.
The Paris giants want to celebrate winning the Champions League for the first time in their history at the end of the season. PSG were finalists in 2020, narrowly losing to Bayern (0-1). City went through the same disappointment, getting beaten by Premier League rivals Chelsea in the last act in May 2021 (0-1).
At +300, PSG and City are regarded as top favorites to win the most important trophy in club football at the end of the current campaign.
When PSG faces City it will be more than a clash between some of the biggest players on the planet; the two biggest spenders in world football will collide too. The value of the two teams combined reaches almost $1.6 billion. City’s players are worth just over $810 million, with PSG close behind at $780 million. The superstars on the two teams earn out-of-this-world salaries. The wage bill at PSG hits $290 million — more than double City’s at $116 million.
PSG pays $550 to its stars every minute, and judging by their CVs, they deserve their gold. PSG’s current players have won a combined 156 trophies, with City’s men now at 108.
The super money league
When it comes to player fees and wages, it’s PSG who are the biggest spenders with their starting 11 against Club Brugge costing them $290 million. Just two Manchester City players would go inside the top-10 earners in a combined PSG and City squad. Kevin De Bruyne earns more than $28 million each season, with $140 million record-signing Jack Grealish at $20,3 million. Both are way below Neymar, the best-paid player at PSG. The Brazilian is on a $65 million salary in Paris.
“I don’t know what we’ll do to stop them, they have so much quality,” Pep Guardiola nervously smiled when asked about PSG’s attacking jewels Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe. The three have a combined market value of $340 million.
PSG is spending way more on player wages as they go for cultured, established, individuals. Last summer alone, they signed Messi (FC Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan), Achraf Hakimi (Inter), and Gini Wijnaldum (Liverpool). Achraf was the only one who they paid money for, with the other four superstars joined as free agents.
⪠When Leo Messi hit a hat-trick vs Man. City in 2016 🔥
Will they keep him out tonight?#UCL pic.twitter.com/6JL5KWa6Be
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 28, 2021
The game at Parc des Princes will be the fifth time Messi faces off against his Barcelona mentor Pep Guardiola. In each previous match, the one who was playing at home came out as a winner. Messi did it on two occasions (3-0 against Bayern and 4-0 against City), with Guardiola equalizing on home soil (3-2 when he was at Bayern, and 3-1 after moving to City). Tonight, Messi will play against Guardiola for the first time since leaving Barcelona.
Messi is at +500 to score the first goal in the game. A bet on Messi assisting at least a goal in each half is at +2200, with Messi scoring two goals with shots outside the box at +4000.
Messi (34) was sidelined with a minor injury in PSG’s two previous league games, but can play from the first minute against City. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner is yet to score in the PSG shirt in the three outings since his move in August.
