This season, what can Manchester City still compete for?
With 11 wins, 5 draws, and 6 losses in 22 matches, accumulating 38 points, they are ranked fifth in the Premier League table, 2 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, and 12 points less than the league leaders Liverpool, who have played one game less. The hope of a miraculous title win is slim, and even securing a Champions League spot is uncertain.
However, there is still something for Manchester City to strive for, such as the Champions League title.
Winning the Premier League five times in a row or four times in a row makes no difference; it's just about breaking their own record for the longest consecutive championship titles in the Premier League. What Guardiola values most is the Champions League trophy, which is not enough for both Manchester City and Guardiola! The reason for choosing to renew the contract despite the worst performance is based on this point.
Haaland has renewed his contract with Manchester City until 2034, and the Norwegian forward shares the same ambition with Guardiola!
If they can win the Champions League title, this year is not a major tournament year, and there is no Messi to compete against. Therefore, Haaland can completely defeat the three from Real Madrid and win the 2025 Ballon d'Or, leaving Mbappe and Vinicius staring blankly.
What can PSG still compete for?
After losing Mbappe, PSG can still dominate Ligue 1, but their performance in the Champions League is too poor. Last season, they could still overturn Barcelona away from home and reach the semi-finals, but this season, they might not even make it to the knockout stages.
In the current Ligue 1 standings, Paris Saint-Germain leads with 46 points from 18 matches, with 14 wins and 4 draws, 9 points ahead of second-placed Marseille, and the title defense is almost certain. On the scoring chart, the top scorer is Greenwood, the former Manchester United player and current Marseille forward, while PSG's top scorer, Balcola, ranks second with 11 goals. When Mbappe was around, it was obvious that the top scorer in Ligue 1 would be a PSG player, Mbappe.
In the current Champions League standings, Manchester City has 8 points from 6 matches with 2 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses, ranking 22nd. With this result, even if they win both of the last two rounds, they may still have to play in the knockout stage playoffs. If they cannot win both, they might even be eliminated.
Paris Saint-Germain has 7 points from 6 matches with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses, ranking 25th. This result means they don't even have the qualification for the knockout stage playoffs. Even if they win both of the last two rounds, they can only participate in the playoffs. If they can't, they won't even have the playoff qualification. Last season, they reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, so if they can't even make it to the knockout stages this season, it would be quite embarrassing.
In the last two rounds, PSG will first host Manchester City at home and then face Stuttgart away. Currently, Stuttgart has the same number of points as PSG, ranking 26th due to an inferior goal difference. Therefore, these two matches are basically life-and-death struggles.
PSG has remained unbeaten in their last 10 matches across all competitions, with 7 wins and 3 draws.
Manchester City has 4 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses in their last 10 matches across all competitions, and they are unbeaten in their last 6 matches with 4 wins and 2 draws.
In the last 7 encounters between the two sides, PSG has 1 win, 2 draws, and 4 losses, putting them at a disadvantage.
For this match, Manchester City is worth betting on.