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• Girona have little to lose and everything to gain, says Michel

  Girona have plenty to gain and little to lose when they visit PSV in the Champions League, coach Michel claimed.

  Despite securing a maiden European triumph over Slovan Bratislava last month, Girona are still struggling to find their best form, dealing with a long list of players out injured.

  Following a LaLiga win over Leganes on Saturday, Michel said his players may not be full of energy but have the mentality to look for points at the Philips Stadion.

  A positive result could be vital, given Girona then take on the likes of Liverpool, Milan and Arsenal.

  "We have a lot to win and little to lose," Michel said ahead of Girona's first ever meeting with PSV.

  " We are playing against a historic team with European titles. We don't come with all the energy I want, but we do come with a mentality.

  "We need the points and, of course, every game is important. I don't know how high the bar will be to get into the top (places) but we are on a privileged stage and we will compete."

  Girona occupy the 24th and final play-off place in the 36-team Champions League table, with three points from three games. PSV are in 28th with two points.

  "We have to try to be the ones who dominate and who have the ball. We have to try to make them look towards their goal, if we give them control it will be very difficult for us to keep up the pace and hold them off," Michel added.

  "PSV have been practically unbeaten at home for two years in a row. They are a great team with tremendous pressure and pace.

  "We know how difficult it will be and if we want to get anything out of them we have to match their intensity."

  Spanish teams have lost all four of the away games they have played in the Champions League this season. 

  PSV, on the other hand, are unbeaten in their last five home matches in the UEFA Champions League; their longest run without a home defeat in the competition since December 2005 (11 games). However, four of the five games in their current run have ended in stalemates (W1), including each of the last three.

• Neymar suffers fresh injury blow

  Neymar sustained a new injury as he was forced off during Al-Hilal's AFC Champions League Elite win over Esteghlal.

  Aleksandar Mitrovic plundered a hat-trick on Monday to seal a 3-0 win.

  But Al-Hilal's victory was soured by an injury to Neymar, who had to make way just 29 minutes after he came on as a second-half substitute.

  The Brazilian, who has just returned from over a year out of action following a serious knee injury, was forced off with what appeared to be a thigh issue.

  Indeed, Monday's appearance was only the 32-year-old's second for Al-Hilal since his comeback.

  He has featured just seven times for the Saudi Pro League champions in all competitions since his big-money move from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.

• Amorim: Man Utd will think 'new Alex Ferguson has arrived' if Sporting beat Man City

  Ruben Amorim joked Manchester United fans will think he is the next Alex Ferguson if Sporting CP manage to beat Manchester City in the Champions League.

  The head coach has agreed to join the Red Devils and will take charge from November 11 after signing a contract with the club until the end of the 2026-27 season.

  Before then, he has two games left in charge of Sporting, starting with their Champions League match against Pep Guardiola's men on Tuesday.

  Sporting have made a perfect start to the Primeira Liga, winning all 10 of their games, and have made an unbeaten start in Europe, but Amorim is prepared to come under more scrutiny while on the touchline against City.

  "Winning tomorrow would be brilliant. Would I be a hero at Manchester United before I land? I don't think about that, my focus is on winning the game for Sporting," Amorim told a press conference.

  "The inferences that people will draw from this game are not important to me because they can be misleading. If the result was very negative, expectations will be lowered, and I don't think that is a bad starting point when I start at United.

  "If we win tomorrow, they will think that the new Alex Ferguson has arrived and that will be very difficult to maintain. What interests me is to win tomorrow, to have a farewell at Alvalade, then win in Braga and then start in Manchester.

  "It can increase or decrease expectations. I don't know what is better. I want to leave the fans and the players happy and confident and qualify the team for the play-offs."

  Sporting won their first European meeting with City in March 2012 in the Europa League, but are winless in their last three against them (D1 L2).

  However, they are unbeaten in their first three Champions League games so far this season, and if they avoid defeat on Tuesday, they will equal their longest-ever unbeaten run in the competition (four between September 1982 and March 1983).

  The 39-year-old boasts the best win ratio of any Sporting coach on record in the Primeira Liga, winning 120 of his 156 such games in charge (76.92%), but captain Morten Hjulmand said the team are ready to prove they do not need Amorim, who agreed with the sentiment.

  "Yes, [Sporting is prepared for his departure]. You heard Hjulmand say that they no longer need the coach," he added.

  "They are very mature; they understand the game very well. They are prepared, it won't make any difference in the end.

  "There is a change, of course, but the team is prepared and has enough maturity to move forward."