Paris Saint-Germain will look to make it three wins on the bounce in the Champions League group stages when they travel to Portugal to play Benfica on Wednesday evening.
Christophe Galtier’s side are in rollicking form this season and remain unbeaten so far. They continued their dominance at the top of the Ligue 1 table with a 2-1 victory over OGC Nice on Saturday, thus, winning five league games on the bounce.
In the Champions League, Les Parisians have beaten Juventus and Maccabi Haifa in their opening two fixtures, and are just a win away from virtually booking their place in the knockout rounds. But Galtier’s side face a confident Benfica side eyeing the top spot in Group H, having won their opening two fixtures as well.
Paris Saint-Germain Team News
Kylian Mbappe’s recovery in time from a hip injury against OGC Nice was a big boost as the Frenchman came off the bench to score a late winner.
Presnel Kimpembe and Marco Verratti are both sidelined with hamstring and calf issues respectively, but Renato Sanches made it to the matchday squad after shaking off an adductor problem.
Predicted PSG Lineup vs Benfica (3-4-2-1)
Goalkeeper
Gianluigi Donnarumma will start in goal again as he continues to keep veteran Keylor Navas out despite his sub-par showings for Les Parisians.
Defence
Danilo Pereira has been filling in for the injured Presnel Kimpembe in the back three. After coming off the bench in PSG’s victory over Nice, the Portuguese is expected to start in a back three alongside Sergio Ramos and Marquinhos at Benfica in the PSG lineup.
The experienced PSG back three of Danilo, Ramos and Marquinhos will need to be on their toes for the entire game to keep an in-form Goncalo Ramos at bay.
Midfield
Vitinha has cemented his place in midfield with a string of impressive performances this season. He will line up with Fabian Ruiz in the middle of the park in the PSG lineup.
Ruiz had a poor game against Nice at the weekend, failing to capitalise on the chance he got in the absence of Verratti. Yet, Galtier will persist with the Italian on Wednesday.
Achraf Hakimi will look to get forward at will, and his runs from the right will be crucial in opening up spaces for someone like Lionel Messi to exploit. At left wing-back, Nuno Mendes is expected to replace Juan Bernat in the PSG lineup.
Attack
A lot of PSG’s attacks will go through Lionel Messi and Neymar. The South Americans are the proven match winners and can open up the Benfica backline with one pass or through ball. The duo will reprise it’s role in attack behind Kylian Mbappe in the PSG lineup, who made the difference against Nice after coming off the bench.
Mbappe is in rollicking form, and he will look to exploit the Benfica backline’s lack of pace. Pablo Sarabia, Hugo Ekitike and Carlos Soler could be introduced off the bench if required.