ARSENAL FC vs PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN FC

Champions League Group Stage Matchday 5
Emirates Stadium, London, England
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2016 2:45pm EST FS1

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone reading in The States!  This is a time of year that’s very special for us all.  A time to give thanks, give back, and reconnect with the ones who are held most dear.  It’s also a time for Futbol to give back to us the fans, and that is just what UEFA is doing!  Hello Champions League Matchday 5!  Yup, this week we have some stellar international club football taking place Tuesday and Wednesday, highlighted by my featured match of the week in Arsenal vs Paris Saint-Germain!  In this article, I’ll provide Group A analysis, reveal key players to watch for, and give my scoreline prediction.  

Through four matchdays, the battle for the top two in Group A has been settled as both Arsenal and PSG have clinched advancement into the Champions League Round of 16, currently sitting on 10 points each.  However, what hasn’t been determined yet, but most likely will come Wednesday night once these two top dogs clash for the second time this campaign, is which club finishes first?  The importance of the seeding is simple.  If you win your group, then you get drawn an opponent that was runner-up in its group for the Round of 16.  Thus, the opponent for said round should be weaker, giving you a better chance of advancement to the quarterfinals.  Therefore this match, given that either side wins or simply doesn't draw 1-1, will provide us with the Group A winner!  So, it’s winner take all in London, who has the edge?

Both clubs are incredibly talented, as PSG has simply dominated domestically over the past several seasons winning six consecutive Ligue 1 Titles, as well as back to back Domestic Trebles in France!  As for Arsenal, they’ve finished in the Top 4 of the Premier League in England every season since 1997-98!  With that said, there are going to be some outstanding players taking the pitch Wednesday, but the most important men for me have to be Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud for Arsenal, and Tiago Silva and Edinson Cavani for PSG!

The Third Generation Turkish-German Mesut Ozil, I feel, is Arsenals’ best and most important player.  He’s a highly talented Attacking Midfielder with a tremendous pedigree.  As he’s entered the beginning of his prime, Ozil has already cemented himself as a starter for the German National Team, where he helped guide the Germans to their fourth World Cup Win in 2014.  He led in goals with eight during qualifying as well.  In addition, at club level for Arsenal, Mesut finished first last season in the EPL for most assists with 19, and is currently tied for second in the Champions League this year in goals, with four.  Thus, Ozil has a propensity of finding the back of the net, whether its by him booting the ball into the back of it or by him setting up his teammates to score.  Therefore, in this match, be sure to hone in on Ozil’s ball distribution, as well as watch him as he pushes forward into the box. He is a technically savvy finisher when given the opportunity.  

Since we’re discussing opportunities, Olivier Giroud may or may not start come Wednesday, but he will most definitely see time on the pitch and when he does, he must take full advantage of his scoring chances for the Gunners.  A much maligned Center Forward, Giroud is capable of taking games by the scruff of the neck, but too many times fails to reach his perceived expectations.  However, coming off of last weekend’s performance, where he came on late second half sub and scored the equalizer against Manchester United, coupled with the fact that he's going up against his home country’s top club, the motivation and desire to get the job done will be there.  Hence expect him to be physical, utilizing his 6’4” frame to get quality headers on goal.  The question is, will he connect with one?

As we flip the script, the player most capable of causing Giroud fits is Tiago Silva.  The Brazilian Centerback is not only the captain of the back line for PSG, but the captain of the team, and I’d say PSG’s best player.  He’s been regarded as one of the Gala Xl in years past, and he’s going to have to prove his worth in this match.   Arsenal not only has size in Giroud, creativity in Ozil, but also has speed, speed, speed out wide in Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Theo Walcott, and Alexis Sanchez.  Thus, Silva must keep the PSG backline compact and working together.  In addition, his leadership qualities need to be evident.  He’s not the most vocal guy, but when he gets fired up, as i’ve seen on occasion, PSG as a whole seems to raise its level of play, which they’ll need on the road.

Lastly, much like the curious case of Giroud for Arsenal, Les Bleus striker Edinson Cavani must be clinical in front of goal.  He possesses all of the physical tools: height, speed, and finishing ability, to be a great center forward, but he's been inconsistent in year’s past, particularly when playing second fiddle to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.  But Zlatan has moved on and Cavani is PSG’s main man now, and so far in the Champions League he’s scored 4 goals in as many games.  However, in the first meeting between these two teams, he left a couple of gimme’ chances go begging.  Which then begs the question, which Cavani will show up this go round? The one putting away his chances, or the man squandering them?

LSB PREDICTION:

This match is being held at the Emirates Stadium in London, one of the most raucous atmospheres in England, thus the Gunners will be amped from the opening whistle.  I expect Ozil to create a bevy of chances for Alexis and Oxlade early, and a gem of a cross to Giroud, late, to secure a wild ride of a win against France’s best.  3-2 ARSENAL FC