5 reasons why Paris Saint-Germain will struggle against Atalanta | UEFA Champions League 2019-20

Neymar celebrates after scoring for Paris Saint-Germain in their round of 16 tie against Borussia Dortmund
Neymar celebrates after scoring for Paris Saint-Germain in their round of 16 tie against Borussia Dortmund

#3 Paris Saint-Germain have all the pressure

Rashford celebrates after scoring United's winner in stoppage time in last year's Round of 16 tie against PSG
Rashford celebrates after scoring United's winner in stoppage time in last year's Round of 16 tie against PSG

Atalanta have been on an inspiring run and they will count anything beyond finishing in the top 4 in the Serie A a bonus. But they would sure love to upset the Parisians tonight. They definitely have the talent and the firepower to do it.

Meanwhile, memories of a forgettable night in Paris against Manchester United from last season could haunt PSG. Paris Saint-Germain got knocked out in the Round of 16 after starting the home game with a 2-0 advantage. A young, injury-stricken Manchester United unit beat them 3-1 much to the disappointment of their fans and everyone involved.

PSG have a reputation for bottling it in the UEFA Champions League. They have been the victims of one of the most incredible knockout stage comebacks against Barcelona, losing the away game 6-1 after winning the home fixture 4-0.

#2 Zapata and Muriel will cause a lot of problems for Silva and Kimpembe

Duvan Zapata (right) could be one tough proposition for the PSG defence
Duvan Zapata (right) could be one tough proposition for the PSG defence

Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel have been in incredibly good goalscoring form this term for the Serie A side. Muriel has largely been used as a super-sub this season and Zapata is expected to start tonight.

Thiago Silva is a no-nonsense defender. But he might find it difficult to cope with the absolute powerhouse that Zapata is. Zapata scored 18 goals and provided 6 assists from 28 appearances in the Serie A this term.

The 29-year-old is not only a great finisher but he also likes to get involved in the build-up and has created some wonderful chances for his teammates throughout the season. The Colombian is also an aerial threat and Silva and Kimpembe will need to be at their best in order to contain him.

#1 More chances of an upset in a one-leg tie

Can Atalanta pull an upset over PSG?
Can Atalanta pull an upset over PSG?

The UEFA Champions League knockout stages have always been a good test of a team's consistency and mentality as there's only so much luck can do for a team over a period of 180 minutes. However, now that the Champions League has adopted a tournament format from the quarter-finals, things have turned on their head.

We will have a winner at the end of the night and all Atalanta will need is a stroke of luck to scrape through and Paris Saint-Germain wouldn't be able to come back from it. It's cruel to the Ligue 1 champions as they are without some of their best players.

Don't get us wrong. Atalanta are a very good team themselves and might not end up needing any luck to go through. But it has to be said that going into the game, PSG's unfortunate situation could lead to their undoing.

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