Paris Saint-Germain will be aiming to seal qualification to the last 16 of the Champions League when Maccabi Haifa visit Parc des Princes on Tuesday evening.
Les Parisians are tied on points with Benfica, and a pair of 1-1 draws mean Christophe Galtier’s side are just about keeping toe-to-toe with the Portuguese giants at the summit of the group courtesy of having scored one goal more.
With a cushion of five points over Juventus and Maccabi Haifa after four games, a victory over Maccabi Haifa at home will guarantee PSG a place in the knockout rounds.
Paris Saint-Germain Team News
Marco Verratti will serve a one-game ban this week after picking up three bookings in the tournament. Sergio Ramos and Neymar will both be back from domestic suspensions for the game against Maccabi Haifa, while Presnel Kimpembe has been included in the squad after being out for a month with a hamstring problem.
Nuno Mendes is also a part of Christophe Galtier’s squad, but Danilo Pereira remains out with a hamstring problem.
Predicted PSG Lineup vs Maccabi Haifa (3-4-1-2)
Goalkeeper
Gianluigi Donnarumma has been the first-choice goalkeeper under Christophe Galtier and should start against Maccabi Haifa in the PSG lineup.
Defence
Christophe Galtier is likely to revert to a back three from a 4-3-1-2 formation he used in the 3-0 win over AC Ajaccio in Ligue 1 at the weekend.
In a 3-4-1-2 system, Nordi Mukiele, Marquinhos and Sergio Ramos will form the three-man defence in the PSG lineup and hope to keep the Maccabi attackers quiet on the night.
Presnel Kimpembe is just back from a hamstring problem, so he will be available from the bench.
Midfield
Marco Verratti’s suspension should open the door for Fabian Ruiz to get an opportunity. Ruiz’s passing range and vision will complement the work rate and energy of Vitinha in the centre of the park, as PSG will look to get control of the game as soon as possible against the Israeli side.
Achraf Hakimi and Juan Bernat should operate from the wing-back positions in the PSG lineup, with the duo likely to be given the freedom to bomb forward and influence attacks as much as they can.
Nuno Mendes, Carlos Soler and Renato Sanches will wait for their opportunities to impress if called upon from the bench.
Attack
Lionel Messi is PSG’s creator-in-chief, and the mercurial Argentinean will look to supply through balls and incisive passes for Neymar and Kylian Mbappe to run at. If the trio of Messi, Mbappe and Neymar find their gears, Maccabi could have a long night at Parc des Princes.
If PSG are trailing or in need of fresh legs in attack, Galtier will have options in Pablo Sarabia and Hugo Ekitike to bring on from the bench.