Paris Saint-Germain will cross swords with Real Madrid at Parc des Princes in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday night.
Les Parisians, who finished second in Group A, are in a great run of form in Ligue 1. They hold a 13-point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table, with Mauricio Pochettino’s side heading to this mouthwatering tie off the back of a 1-0 success over Rennes at the weekend.
Pochettino and co. will be looking to secure an advantage in the first leg of their last-16 tie before they travel to Madrid for the second leg next month.
Paris Saint-Germain Team News
Paris Saint-Germain have Neymar back in training just in time following a serious ankle injury, although the Brazilian forward is expected to start on the bench.
Ander Herrera and Sergio Ramos could both miss out due to thigh and calf injuries respectively, but Idrissa Gueye and Abdou Diallo should be back in the squad after helping Senegal win the Africa Cup of Nations. Edouard Michut and Alexandre Letellier are still out having tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
Predicted PSG Lineup vs Real Madrid (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper
Mauricio Pochettino has nicely rotated his goalkeepers Keylor Navas and Gianluigi Donnarumma this season, and there are big chances of the latter starting against Real Madrid on Tuesday evening.
Defence
With Sergio Ramos out, Pochettino will stick to his preferred centre-back pairing of Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe. Achraf Hakimi should retain his place at right-back, while Nuno Mendes is expected to get the nod ahead of Juan Bernat at left-back in the Real Madrid lineup.
The PSG back four will have to remain switched on for the full 90 minutes if they are to keep a clean sheet against Real Madrid.
Midfield
Pochettino is likely to ring some changes to the midfield that started in the 1-0 win over Rennes last weekend. Idrissa Gueye helps PSG’s midfield tick with his combative style of play, making him a certain starter for this game. Marco Verratti is indispensable to this side, while Danilo Pereira’s recent run of form could earn him a start in the engine room.
If Pochettino goes with the midfield trio of Gueye, Verratti and Danilo in the PSG lineup, they will have to work very hard throughout the game to neutralise the likes of Modric, Kroos and Casemiro at Parc des Princes.
Attack
With Neymar unlikely to be thrown straight into the Real Madrid lineup, Kylian Mbappe will keep his place on the left flank. With his explosive pace and smart link-up play, Mbappe will look to combine well with Lionel Messi and Angel di Maria in the final third to make life difficult for Real defenders.