5 things to look out for ahead of PSG's Champions League clash against to Leverkusen

PSG is set to take on German giants Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena in their third League Phase game of the 2025-26 Champions League campaign. Despite the numerous injuries sustained by some of their key players, Luis Enrique and his side secured two convincing victories against Atalanta and FC Barcelona in their two opening games.

However, the European Champion who just snatched a late draw against Strasbourg at home over the weekend failed to secure a win in their last two league games and lost to the spot in Ligue 1 to Marseille.

Here are the five things to look out for ahead of PSG's Champions League clash against Leverkusen.

Five main talking point ahead of PSG's clash against Bayer Leverkusen.

1) Which of PSG's players will return from injury?

The announcement of the squad that will travel to Germany for tomorrow's Champions League match brought with it some long awaited good news: that of the return of Ballon D'or winner Ousmane Dembélé. Whether or not the Frenchman will be fit enough to start, or even to come off the bench, has yet to be seen, but his return to the squad is timely for the Parisians who are winless in their last two games. Desiré Doué is also back in the Champions League - having not featured in the competition since his brace in last season's final, and Marquinhos also returns, having recovered from the injury that kept him out of last Friday's game.

This means that PSG have a much stronger squad than in their last Champions League game, with Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz the only starters who are still unavailable. PSG fans and neutrals around the globe will be excited to see some of those stars back in Champions League action tomorrow night.

2) Whether Lucas Chevalier can improve on his recent mixed form

The start of Chevalier's PSG career has been a highly documented struggle. The French goalkeeper has struggled to make an impact since his summer signing from Lille, with his mistake last Friday in conceding Diego Moreira's goal the latest in a string of high profile blunders he has made this season. Gianluigi Donnarumma's fine form at Manchester City has added extra pressure on the young man who was effectively signed as the Italian's direct replacement.

Tomorrow night is an important game for the Frenchman, and a clean sheet in Europe's premier competition (in which he shone last season for LOSC) could do his confidence the world of good.

3) Will Barcola have his shooting boots on?

It has been a mixed start to the season for PSG's star winger Bradley Barcola. The Frenchman has shone at times, impressing with his mazy dribbles and a few great goals, the latest of which was the opener at Strasbourg. He has also been on the receiving end of a lot of criticism for his poor finishing, with some of the most flagrant examples of wastefulness coming in the Champions League.

Barcola, like Chevalier, will hope that tomorrow's game can represent a turning point, and a chance to boost his confidence with some goals. He will be further encouraged by Doué's return to the team, as the pair linked up brilliantly for Barcola's goal against Strasbourg. A goal tomorrow would see him get off the mark for the season in the Champions League, after missing a penalty against Atalanta and a one on one vs Barcelona.

One of the most marking aspects of Luis Enrique's team selection this season so far has been the level of faith which he's shown the two youngsters, both of whom have become mainstays in the side. This is partially, of course, due to the absence of various attackers over the season, but now that some of them have returned to fitness, it will be interesting to see whether Enrique continues to place his trust in the two academy starlets, whether it be from the start of the game or off the bench.

Senny Mayulu in particular will feel that he has justified a place in the starting line up, with important goals vs Strasbourg and Barcelona under his belt already this season, as well as his late strike in last season's Champions League final thrashing of Inter Milan.

5) Will PSG's brilliant European record continue, or will league struggles translate to continental form?

When you think of PSG in the French League vs in the Champions League over the last fifteen years, you'd be inclined to imagine that they generally would perform better in the former competition. In fact, a criticism that's often been leveled at them is that they have failed to translate their domestic dominance into the tougher environment of the European competition.

If anything however, it's been quite the opposite so far this campaign, with PSG's two most impressive performances and results coming in their first two Champions League games, and their struggles have been more on the domestic front. In fact, over this calendar year, PSG's European copybook has been impeccable, and their form on paper would strike fear into the hearts of any potential opponent. Let's see if this brilliant continental form continues in tomorrow's clash.