Paris Saint-Germain will look to maintain their unbeaten start to the new season when they host RC Lens on Saturday.
PSG will look to build on their incredible start to the new season and extend their lead at the top of the table when they host RC Lens, who only have one win in their last five league games, at Parc des Princes on Saturday.
The home team have accumulated 23 points in their nine league outings, with seven wins and two draws. PSG have a three-point advantage over second-placed AS Monaco. Les Parisiens will try to extend that lead with another win and put some pressure on Monaco.
PSG are heading into this one on the back of a 3-0 win over Marseille, and they will be looking for a similar performance against Lens. The visitors are fifth on the points table with 14 points in their nine outings. They are going through a rough patch as they have only won one out of their last five league games.
Lens are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-0 defeat against LOSC Lille. While they will hope to return to winning ways, things do not look that bright for them as they will go up against the best team in the country. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Paris Saint-Germain
Lucas Hernandez, Presnel Kimpembe, and Goncalo Ramos are all out injured, while Lucas Beraldo is suspended for this fixture. Bradley Barcola, who has been the star man for PSG so far, could be rested for this fixture as they have more important games coming up.
Luis Enrique’s team will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Gianluigi Donnarumma will be in goal. The highly sought-after Achraf Hakimi will be the right-back, while Nuno Mendes will feature on the opposite flank. In the heart of the defence, Willian Pacho will pair up with Milan Skriniar.
In the centre of the park, Fabian Ruiz will start alongside Vitinha and teenage sensation Senny Mayulu. The trio will look to control the tempo and dictate the pace of the game. Marco Asensio and Desire Doue should feature on the flanks providing the much-needed width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Randal Kolo Muani, will most likely lead the line for PSG against RC Lens.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Skriniar, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Mayulu, Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha; Marco Asensio, Kolo Muani, D Doue
RC Lens
The visitors will be without the services of Facundo Medina, who is suspended for this fixture. Meanwhile, Wesley Said, Jimmy Cabot, Martin Satriano, and Ruben Aguilar all remain on the sidelines.
Lens will line up in a 3-4-3 formation, where Brice Samba will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Jonathan Gradit, Kevin Danso, and Abdukodir Khusanov.
Przemyslaw Frankowski and Jhoanner Chavez will be the wing-backs, while Adrien Thomasson and Andy Diouf will feature in the centre of the park. Florian Sotoca and Anass Zaroury will feature on the flanks. They will try to provide width to their attacks while M’Bala Nzola will lead the line for RC Lens against PSG.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Samba; Gradit, Danso, Khusanov; Frankowski, Thomasson, Diouf, Chavez; Sotoca, Nzola, Zaroury
Key Stats
- PSG have won 44 out of the 90 matches between the two teams in all competitions, while the visitors only have 25 wins to their name.
- The Ligue 1 champions secured a league double over the visitors last season. They won both home and away with an aggregate score of 5-1.
- Lens have played out the most number of draws this season (5).
- PSG have been unbeaten in their last 11 league games. They have won nine of those fixtures.
- Lens have failed to win any of their last 10 away games against the team from the capital.
Player to Watch
Marco Asensio
Asensio might not be a regular starter at PSG, but he is still a top player who can have a big say on the end result of the game. The Spanish international has two goals and two assists in 351 minutes of league action, and he will be eager to add to his tally when the French giants host Lens.
Prediction
PSG 3-1 RC Lens
PSG have a superior head-to-head record over RC Lens, and they have been in sensational form since the start of the new season. While Lens are fifth on the Ligue 1 table, they have struggled to get the desired recent in recent weeks and are unlikely to find it easy against PSG. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the home team.
