Paris Saint-Germain begin their new Ligue 1 campaign this weekend with another domestic title in their sights, but the Paris club is already looking beyond France as it prepares for another Champions League challenge.
The reigning French champions enter the season as overwhelming favourites to win a sixth consecutive Ligue 1 title. Their first league match is against Rennes on August 23, although the fixture will now be played at Rennes rather than PSG’s Parc des Princes because of damage to the Paris stadium’s pitch caused by the recent extreme heat.
PSG are coming off a remarkable period of success. The club secured its 14th French top-flight championship last season and has also established itself as the dominant force in European football. The team will now attempt to defend its Champions League crown for a second time.
The European challenge will begin in September, meaning PSG have only a short window to establish momentum in the domestic competition before attention turns toward continental football. Their first Champions League match is scheduled for September 8.
The club’s ambitions have grown beyond simply maintaining its dominance in France. PSG are targeting what would be a third straight Champions League title, a feat that would further strengthen their position among Europe’s elite clubs.
That European priority has previously influenced how PSG approach their domestic schedule. Despite their overwhelming strength in Ligue 1, the club has increasingly treated the French championship as part of a broader campaign focused on competing for every major trophy.
The team has already added another piece of silverware this month, defeating Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup on August 12. PSG won the match 2-1, giving the European champions another trophy before the beginning of their Ligue 1 campaign.
But the unusual condition of the Parc des Princes has provided an early complication. Successive heatwaves severely damaged the playing surface, forcing the league to reverse the locations of PSG’s opening fixture with Rennes. The match remains scheduled for August 23, but it will now take place at Rennes’ Roazhon Park.
For PSG, however, the change of venue is unlikely to alter the bigger objective. The Parisian club enters the new season seeking another Ligue 1 crown while attempting to achieve something even more ambitious in Europe: extending its Champions League reign for another year.
