4 burning questions that the 2018/19 Champions League could answer

#4 Will it finally be PSG’s year?

Arsenal v Paris Saint Germain - International Champions Cup 2018 — Will the legendary Gigi Buffon finally capture the Champions League with PSG?

No team has spent money quite like Paris St. Germain since their takeover by Oryx Qatar Sports Investments at the end of 2011, and since then they’ve seen a host of big-name players – David Luiz, Zlatan Ibrahimovic – and managers – Carlo Ancelotti, Laurent Blanc, Unai Emery – come and go along the way. But despite winning the Ligue 1 title 5 times since the takeover, they still haven’t captured the Champions League.

Will 2018/19 finally be the year where that changes? PSG have another new manager – the highly rated Thomas Tuchel, who did a tremendous job at Borussia Dortmund despite losing many key players – and strengthened their squad again in the summer by bringing in legendary Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who despite being 40 years old now, is still considered one of the best in the world.

PSG have tremendous defenders such as Thiago Silva, Thomas Meunier and Dani Alves; dangerous midfielders like Angel di Maria and Julian Draxler and perhaps the world’s most feared front three in the form of Neymar Jr, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani. Essentially, they have absolutely no weak areas. But then the same could’ve been said last season and after a blistering group stage, they still conspired to simply fold when faced with Real Madrid in the round of 16.

So will this year be different? Will the influence of Tuchel turn out to be the final piece in the jigsaw to allow PSG to win Europe’s biggest competition? It probably wouldn’t be popular with neutrals due to the money they’ve spent – but then who wouldn’t want to see Gigi Buffon finally win the one trophy that’s eluded him? PSG’s Champions League journey this season will make for simply compelling viewing.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Sripad