25 July 2017
FACT FILE
Name: Paris Saint-Germain
Founded: 1970
Home ground: Parc des Princes
Coach: Unai Emery
LAST TIME OUT
Juventus fans will need to cast their minds back over 20 years for the last competitive meeting against Paris Saint-Germain. The Bianconeri took on Les Parisiens in the 1996/97 UEFA Super Cup final, with Juventus recording a resounding 6-1 victory in Paris before comfortably cruising through the second leg in Turin 3-1 (9-2 the aggregate scoreline).
STORY THIS SUMMER
PSG celebrated a trio of domestic cups last season, but coach Unai Emery will be hoping to reclaim top spot in Ligue 1 (won last season by AS Monaco) as well as growing in the Champions League.
Over the summer, they have signed left-back Yuri Berchiche from Real Sociedad and former Juve right-back Dani Alves. Among the players to leave the club meanwhile are Jean-Kévin Augustin and Italian stopper Salvatore Sirigu, who have headed to RB Leipzig and Torino respectively.
MAIN MAN
PSG will look to main man, Edinson Cavani to help fire them to more glory this season. Cavani, who departed Napoli for the Parisian side in 2013, is the focal point of their formidable attack. Over the past four seasons for PSG he has scored a total of 130 goals in 198 appearances in all competitions.
Incredibly, he was on the mark 49 times in 50 games in all competitions last season, including 35 strikes in 36 Ligue 1 appearances. His prowess in front of goal earnt him the accolade of Ligue 1’s top scorer and Ligue 1 Player of the Year 2016-17, whilst also being included in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year.
DID YOU KNOW?
Juventus have never lost to PSG in a competitive fixture, winning six and drawing two of their previous eight meetings.
STADIUM STATS & FACTS
vs PSG (Wednesday 26 July, 21:05 local; Thursday 24 July, 03:05 CEST)
Where: Hard Rock Stadium; Miami, Florida
Capacity: 65,326
Home team(s): Miami Dolphins (NFL), University of Miami Hurricanes (NCAA football)
About: With a $350 million renovation recently completed adding a canopy roof and many other improvements, Hard Rock Stadium has hosted five Super Bowls, four NCAA National Championship games and two editions of the World Series. No stranger to hosting major international football matches, Juventus is making their second trip to Hard Rock Stadium having faced Inter in Miami in 2013.
What’s in a name?: Due to changing sponsorships, Hard Rock Stadium has held nine different names since opening in 1987.
ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD
After facing Barcelona and PSG, the Bianconeri will head back to the East Coast to take on familiar opponents Roma in Boston on 30 July in what represents an interesting test to see how far both sides will have come before they lock horns for real when the Serie A season gets underway in August.
