Wounded PSG kick off title defence

Champs face brutal calendar, Atalanta

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There is the sense that the new season gets up and running for real this week for Paris Saint-Germain as they begin their defence of the Champions League title amid doubts as to how much longer their squad can handle being pushed to the limit by a crowded calendar.

PSG host Atalanta today for their first game in Europe, three and a half months after their stunning 5-0 destruction of Inter Milan in last season's final in Munich.

Luis Enrique's team will also entertain Bayern, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United in the league phase, with trips to Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, Athletic Bilbao and to Lisbon to face Sporting on the horizon too.

Those are tough games, although PSG's poor start in last season's Champions League has shown that they might not need to be at their very best immediately.

The French champions lost three of eight league phase games last season, but still won Europe's elite club competition for the first time following a dazzling run of form from the turn of the year.

The concern now, however, is that last season's exertions could catch up with them and seriously jeopardise their chances of retaining the trophy.