After enduring a disappointing draw against Stade Brestois, Paris Saint-Germain will take on Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on Friday night.
Les Parisiens went 2-0 up versus Eric Roy’s side in the first half but the visitors came back brilliantly in the second half and eventually managed to earn a single point.
PSG haven’t had a great campaign so far this term under Luis Enrique’s guidance but the French giants have usually been dominating the Ligue 1 once again this campaign, sitting at the top of the table with 44 points from 19 games. So, it is looking highly likely that Les Parisiens will be able to lift the league title once again this season.
On the other hand, Strasbourg are currently in mid-table with 25 points from 19 games. Patrick Vieira’s side have been enjoying a promising time in recent weeks as they are currently unbeaten in the last eight games in all competitions, winning five of those.
So, Strasbourg will be coming into this game full of confidence and they will be hoping to continue their unbeaten run by earning a positive result against PSG on Friday.
Previous meetings
PSG haven’t lost to Strasbourg in the last 13 games in all competitions, however, the record Ligue 1 champions haven’t been able to beat their Friday’s opponent in the last two league games at Stade de la Meinau.
PSG have won only one out of the last five league games at this Stadium, while Strasbourg have also won as many games at home against Les Parisiens. So, it is going to be interesting to see how the game pans out this time around on Friday.
How to watch
The match will kick off at 8 pm UK time and the game will be televised live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK. Supporters will also have the opportunity to watch the game live in person by buying PSG tickets through the official websites or via resellers.
Team news
Strasbourg have a few injury problems ahead of this encounter as Lebo Mothiba, Jeremy Sebas and Ismael Doukoure are all set to remain sidelined due to their respective issues. In addition, Kevin Gameiro is also unavailable to feature against his former club owing to a muscular problem.
Vieira will also be without Saidou Sow as he has qualified for the quarter-finals of the AFCON with his national team Guinea. Goalkeeper Matz Sels has secured a move to Nottingham Forest on deadline day so he isn’t in contention to feature.
For PSG, they have several injury problems ahead of this encounter as Milan Skriniar, Nuno Mendes, Layvin Kurzawa, Diego Rico and Presnel Kimpembe are all set to remain sidelined for this fixture due to their respective injuries.
Achraf Hakimi has been knocked out of the AFCON with Morocco after losing to South Africa. However, it is not clear whether he will be available for selection in this fixture. But, Kang-in Lee has qualified for the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup with South Korea so he is not in contention to feature in this fixture. Bradley Barcola picked up a red card in the last game so he is suspended for this encounter.
Predicted line-up
Vieira is expected to go with the 4-3-3 formation and Alaa Bellaarouch could be between the sticks for the hosts. Abakar Sylla and Lucas Perrin should be the two centre-backs for Strasbourg, while Marvin Senaya and Frederic Guilbert are likely to be the fullbacks.
Ibrahima Sissoko may start in the holding midfield position with Habib Diarra and Junior Mwanga in the box-to-box role. Angelo and Dilane Bakwa could be patrolling on the flanks, while Dion Moise Sahi could lead the line for the hosts.
Expected Strasbourg line-up vs PSG
Bellaarouch; Senaya, Perrin, Sylla, Guilbert; Sissoko, Diarra, Mwanga; Angelo, Moise Sahi, Bakwa
As for PSG, Enrique is likely to stick with his preferred 4-3-3 formation with Gianluigi Donnarumma set to be in goal. Danilo Pereira could be paired up with Lucas Hernandez in the centre-back position, while Warren Zaire-Emery and Lucas Beraldo could be deployed in the fullback position.
Fabian Ruiz is likely to be in the deep-lying playmaker position with Vitinha and Marco Asensio in the box-to-box role. So, Manuel Utarte will have to make do with a place on the bench once again.
Ousmane Dembele is expected to replace Barcola and the former Barcelona star could commence in the right-wing position, pushing Randal Kolo Muani in the centre-forward position. Kylian Mbappe is set to start in the left-wing role. Therefore, Goncalo Ramos will have to settle for a place on the bench in this encounter as well.
Expected PSG line-up against Strasbourg
Donnarumma; Zaire-Emery, Pareira, Hernandez, Beraldo; Ruiz, Asensio, Vitinha; Mbappe, Kolo Muani, Dembele
Key players
The Strasbourg frontline will have to play at their best to help Vieira’s side come away with a positive result from this fixture. They aren’t expected to get many chances so they need to be clinical in front of the goal.
The backline will come under a lot of pressure so they will have to showcase a flawless performance to thwart the opposition attack and keep a clean-sheet. In addition, the goalkeeper will face a lot of chances against a star-studded PSG’s attack so he will have to be at the top of his game in this encounter.
For PSG, Mbappe has been enjoying a stellar campaign this term and guiding his team to yet another title charge, scoring 19 goals and registering three assists in 18 league appearances. The 25-year-old is the talismanic figure for PSG so the hosts will have to find a way to stop the Frenchman in order to earn a positive result from this encounter.
Although Dembele can be quite inconsistent at times, he has the qualities to win games single-handedly. So, if the Frenchman can showcase his best then PSG will win this fixture pretty comfortably.
Kolo Muani hasn’t had a great time at the Parc des Princes this term having joined the club last summer. But, he is a talented player and can be a nuisance for the opposition defenders. So, the Strasbourg defence need to be careful about the former Eintracht Frankfurt star’s threats.
Prediction
PSG are always the heavy favourite to win games in Ligue 1 and it’s the same once again this time around. Les Parisiens are a star-studded side and it will be an extremely disappointing result for them if they can’t win on Friday night.
PSG don’t generally fail to win two consecutive games in Ligue 1 so it will be an extremely difficult task for Strasbourg to earn a positive result from this fixture.
The hosts could try to fight in the first few minutes but it’s expected that PSG will win comfortably. However, it is going to be interesting to see how the game eventually unfolds on Friday night. Strasbourg 1-3 PSG
