Paris Saint-Germain braces for a seismic Champions League night at the Parc des Princes, where Achraf Hakimi’s absence shadows the buildup as the French champion prepares to face Tottenham. The fixture carries weight for both sides, and while the team enters the match with confidence, one question dominates the discussion: Why isn’t Hakimi playing?
PSG approaches the clash in singular focus. Tottenham may be struggling in domestic competition, but the Champions League is a different arena entirely, and the defending European champion remains keenly aware of how fragile continental momentum can be. That fragility was exposed three weeks ago when Bayern Munich left Paris with a 2-1 win, handing Luis Enrique his first defeat of the campaign.
Yet the French side’s response has been typically assured. Back-to-back Ligue 1 victories over Lyon and Le Havre have steadied the ship, and the home side enters this matchday fifth in the league-phase table, just behind Europe’s elite. Tottenham, for all their recent turbulence, travel to France unbeaten in Europe and still well positioned to qualify.
The visitors, though, arrive amid tension. Their 4-1 loss to Arsenal last weekend brought mounting criticism for manager Thomas Frank, whose defensive setup was torn apart at the Emirates. Spurs’ league form has wobbled, but their continental performances have held: two wins, two draws, clean sheets in five of their last seven European games.
This return to Paris is no ordinary trip either. The last time the sides met—August’s UEFA Super Cup—Spurs led 2-0 before PSG mounted a comeback and won on penalties. Tonight feels heavier, sharper, more consequential.
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Why is Hakimi absent?
Hakimi suffered a significant ankle injury after a brutal challenge by Bayern Munich’s Luis Díaz, a tackle that earned the Colombian a red card and left the Moroccan defender requiring immediate treatment. “Following the injury sustained in our last Champions League match, Achraf Hakimi will be unavailable for several weeks,” the club confirmed in a medical report at the beginning of November. “He continues his recovery under the supervision of the medical staff.”
Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain is carried off the pitch after picking up an injury
The 2025 African Footballer of the Year has not recovered, and with PSG’s schedule tightening, the timing is as damaging as the injury itself. His absence forces a reshuffle—Warren Zaïre-Emery must deputize at right-back, altering the team’s balance on a night when Tottenham’s wide threat is crucial.
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