Paris Saint-Germain resume their Ligue 1 duties on Sunday evening when they travel to Stade Pierre-Mauroy to face defending champions Lille.
Les Parisians suffered cup disappointment earlier this week as they were knocked out of the Coupe de France by OGC Nice on penalty shootouts.
The early cup exit on Monday should fire them up for Sunday’s game at Lille, as Mauricio Pochettino hopes to maintain an 11-point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table.
PSG Team News
Georginio Wijnaldum remains out with an ankle problem, while Neymar has recently made his return to partial training following the ankle injury sustained against Saint-Etienne in November. He won’t feature against Lille, though.
Sergio Ramos is a major doubt for Paris Saint-Germain this weekend due to a calf problem. Idrissa Gueye and Abdou Diallo both remain unavailable for selection due to their involvement with Senegal in the AFCON.
Predicted PSG Lineup vs Lille (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper
Gianluigi Donnarumma is expected to start between the sticks for PSG against Lille. The Italian shot-stopper would be looking to put up a strong performance and keep a clean sheet on Sunday evening.
Defence
Back from international duty, Marquinhos is expected to start at the heart of PSG’s backline with Presnel Kimpembe slotting into the left-centre back position in the PSG lineup. Juan Bernat could come in at the expense of Nuno Mendes at left-back, whereas Achraf Hakimi is a guaranteed starter at right-back.
The back four of Hakimi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe and Bernat would need to perform as a unit at the weekend to keep the Lille attackers at bay.
Midfield
Marco Verratti, in particular, is a favourite to occupy the deeper midfield role. The Italian midfielder’s composure on the ball and reading of the game could be critical as PSG look to dominate Lille this weekend.
Alongside the busy Verratti, Ander Herrera is likely to form the advanced midfield partnership with Leandro Paredes in the PSG lineup. Both Herrera and Paredes will look to recycle possession and create opportunities for Pochettino’s side.
If the midfield trio of Verratti, Paredes and Herrera click, PSG’s chances of winning at Lille would certainly become higher.
Attack
Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi will take up the wide positions, and will look to cause menace for Christophe Galtier’s men down the right and left flank respectively. Mbappe and Messi’s movement in the final third could cause a lot of trouble for the Lille defenders on Sunday.
Mauro Icardi is expected to lead the line for Les Parisians against Lille. A poacher in every sense, Icardi would be hoping to pounce on any mistake made by the hosts.
