Paris Saint-Germain will be looking to get back to winning ways when they take on defending French champions LOSC Lille on Sunday.
After their shock exit from Coupe de France at the hands of OGC Nice, Paris Saint-Germain will be hoping to pick themselves up and rekindle their winning momentum when they lock horns with LOSC Lille on Sunday.
Les Parisiens have a comfortable ten-point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table. However, performing against bigger teams has been a major problem for Mauricio Pochettino’s men, as they have dropped points against opponents such as Marseille, Nice, Lyon and Stade Rennais.
Such a disappointing run of results has put pressure on Pochettino, who will likely be sacked if the team continues to underperform against bigger teams. It makes the upcoming clash against LOSC Lille a must-win encounter as the league leaders look to build positive momentum heading into the important UEFA Champions League duel against Real Madrid less than two weeks from now.
Lille themselves are preparing for their Champions League Round of 16 clash against Chelsea later this month, but the hosts have bigger problems in the league. Currently dawdling in mid-table, Les Dogues are running the risk of missing out on European football altogether and are in need of a massive upturn in fortunes.
Jocelyn Gourvennec’s men will be aiming for a positive result against PSG this weekend, knowing it could go a long way in lifting their confidence ahead of the crucial league encounters against Montpellier and Metz. Here at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over these two sides ahead of this blockbuster contest at Stade Pierre Mauroy.
Team News & Tactics
LOSC Lille
Not long now ?#LOSC | ? #LOSCPSG pic.twitter.com/V3l7hrhVtT
— LOSC (@LOSC_EN) February 4, 2022
Although LOSC Lille won’t have to contend with too many injury-related absentees, their key man Jonathan David might not be fit enough to start following his international duty with Canada. The same can be said for Timothy Weah, which should pave the way for someone like Hatem Ben Arfa to spearhead the Lille attack, alongside the experienced figure of Burak Yilmaz.
Ben Arfa offers the skill and movement that combines well with Yilmaz’s physical and aerial presence inside the box, thus adding more variety to Lille’s offensive unit.
As for the creative department, Angel Gomes and Jonathan Bamba remain favourites to operate out wide, hoping to provide service for Yilmaz inside the box. At the same time, they are expected to form Lille’s second line of press alongside the two central midfielders in Benjamin Andre and Renato Sanches.
Jocelyn Gourvennec does have the option of deploying Amadou Onana in central midfield should he prefer a more defensive approach. Onana’s presence in the middle of the park should allow Sanches to fill in at right-midfield, ahead of Gomes, who is more of a second-choice option.
In the defensive unit, Lille have had to contend with the January exit of left-back Reinildo Mandava, who joined Atletico Madrid. The onus will be on Gabriel Gudmundsson to replace the Brazilian as he looks to form Lille’s four-man backline alongside Sven Botman, Jose Fonte and Zeki Celik.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Grbic; Celik, Fonte, Botman, Gudmundsson; Gomes, Sanches, Andre, Bamba; Yilmaz, Ben Arfa
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain are still missing quite a few players heading into this contest, including the two injured players Neymar and Georginio Wijnaldum. Meanwhile, Idrissa Gueye and Abdou Diallo are still out due to international duty, having reached the Africa Cup of Nations final with Senegal. Sergio Ramos is another player unlikely to feature in the game as the veteran is struggling with a calf issue.
?? Training today ahead of #LOSCPSG pic.twitter.com/bmitc9bCPM
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) February 4, 2022
Ramos’s potential absence means Pochettino should not hesitate to deploy his favoured central defensive combination of Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe. The visitors are also set to be boosted by the return of star full-back Achraf Hakimi, who should slot right into the starting eleven, with Nuno Mendes on the left completing the PSG back four.
Pochettino might look to shuffle his pack in midfield, with Leandro Paredes replacing Danilo in the number six slot. The Argentine should be accompanied by Ander Herrera and Marco Verratti, whose creativity and ability to carry the ball forward could go a long way in helping PSG breach the opposition defence.
As for the attacking unit, PSG are set to be boosted by the return of Angel Di Maria. However, the Argentine international might have to settle for a place on the bench, with Julian Draxler likely to get the nod on the left flank.
The German international is set to be accompanied by Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe in the final third. The return of Mbappe into the starting eleven will be a major boost for the visitors, as the Frenchman looks to cause trouble for the Lille defence with his pace and ability to run in behind the backline.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Mendes; Herrera, Paredes, Verratti; Messi, Mbappe, Draxler
Key Stats
- Lille have lost only one of their last three Ligue 1 games against PSG, although that was in the reverse fixture this season on Matchday 12. LOSC have lost 13 top-flight encounters against the same opposition over the last ten seasons, at least four more than any other opponent in this period.
- Lille have won only one of their last nine Ligue 1 home games against PSG, failing to score in five of the most recent six.
- Paris Saint-Germain have not lost any of their last 13 Ligue 1 games. Only Inter Milan are on a longer unbeaten run currently in the top five European leagues.
- Lille have not lost any of their last nine Ligue 1 home games – indeed, only opponents PSG (14) are on a longer current run on home soil.
- Lille’s run of nine games unbeaten in Ligue 1 was ended in their last game against Brest. Les Dogues have not lost consecutive top-flight games since last September.
Player to Watch
Lionel Messi
LEO ? pic.twitter.com/Qr4rgaRbXj
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) February 4, 2022
Lionel Messi was one of the most underwhelming performers on the pitch when OGC Nice downed Paris Saint-Germain in the Coupe de France earlier this week. The Argentine ace has a dismal record in domestic French competitions, netting just one goal in 13 appearances, which has drawn criticism from all across the footballing world.
Messi, therefore, will have a point to prove when PSG take on Lille on Sunday. The attacker has lacked the support around him but has also been marked out of the game on multiple occasions, so it will be interesting to see how the Argentine sensation plans to manoeuvre the opposition backline and create goalscoring opportunities for his team this weekend.
Prediction
LOSC Lille 0-2 Paris Saint-Germain
Despite their poor record against bigger teams, Paris Saint-Germain remain the undisputed favourites to seal all three points on Sunday. As iterated earlier, the visitors are set to be boosted by the return of Achraf Hakimi while Kylian Mbappe is likely to be drafted into the starting eleven as well, thus significantly improving the potency of their attack.
At the back, the return of Marquinhos could be a major boost, strengthening the PSG backline that should retain a clean sheet, especially in the absence of Lille’s main frontman Jonathan David.
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