PSG will seek to put their Champions League heartache behind them when they return to Ligue 1 action vs Brest.
Defending champions PSG will travel to minnows Brest as they seek to put their UEFA Champions League behind them on Saturday night.
Christophe Galtier’s side have lost their aura of invincibility post World Cup and now just have the Ligue 1 to salvage their campaign. The French manager’s future at the club is also in question, and any further slip-ups will certainly see him out of a job.
In Brest, he now has the perfect opposition to get Paris Saint-Germain back to winning ways. The French giants have not lost to Brest in 24 games leading up to Saturday. And it will take an upset of monumental proportions to see the streaks come to a grinding halt.
Eric Roy’s side is just one point off the relegation zone and will need to turn their fortunes around soon. The chances of them doing so against PSG seems far-fetched as the visitors will be seeking blood following recent reversals.
Brest’s poor home form has seen them win just two matches at the Stade Francis Le Ble. They narrowly fell to a 1-0 defeat to PSG in the return fixture and will aim to frustrate the Parisiens for as long as they can. As things stand, Brest are on a 12-game losing streak to PSG.
The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Stade Brestois 29
🎙️ 𝗘𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗥𝗼𝘆 : "On va essayer de mettre en place des choses qui pourront les perturber"
📲 Éric Roy s'est exprimé avant la réception de Paris ce samedi. Découvrez la conférence de presse
👉 https://t.co/VSmEcZcChh pic.twitter.com/BnFmI1Hk4I— Stade Brestois 29 (@SB29) March 9, 2023
Brest are likely to be without Jeremy Le Douaron, who limped off in their recent clash against Strasbourg. However, one man who will miss out is Mahdi Camara who is suspended for the game.
Meanwhile, Kenny Lala cand Felix Lemarechal are nursing groin and ankle injuries, more or less putting their participation on the night in doubt. To add salt to the wounds, Mathias Pereira Lage and Karamoko Dembele are also struggling with ankle injuries.
Roy has an otherwise fully-fit squad as he seeks to hand PSG another setback this year. Brest are likely to deploy in a 4-3-3 formation that can fall back to a 4-5-1 when needed.
Marco Bizot should start in goal behind the back four of Noah Fadiga, Achraf Dari, Lilian Brassier and Jean-Kevin Duverne. Pierre Lees-Melou will act as the anchor in midfield, with Hugo Magnetti and Haris Belkebla also starting in central midfield.
How well the trio can hold off Marco Verratti and Vitinha could set the stage in the midfield. Franck Honorat and Romain Del Castillo will be tasked with providing width while Steve Mounie leads the line.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Bizot; Fadiga, Dari, Brassier, Duverne; Belkebla, Lees-Melou, Magnetti; Honorat, Mounie, Del Castillo
PSG
PSG will be without Presnel Kimpembe and Neymar, both of who are likely to have played their last games of the season. To make matters worse, Christophe Galtier saw Marquinhos and Nordi Mukiele limp off in the midweek loss to Bayern Munich.
Renato Sanches was on the bench at the Allianz Arena but was an unused substitute. The midfielder is likely to be in contention for the night, but it remains 50-50 on whether there is a start in the offing.
PSG are likely to deploy in a 3-5-2- formation with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal. The trio of Danilo Pereira, Sergio Ramos and El Chadaille Bitshiabu should form the backline, with Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes functioning as wing-backs.
Training ahead of #SB29PSG. 📸 pic.twitter.com/PybShxCLFR
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) March 10, 2023
The trio of Marco Verratti, Vitinha and Warren Zaire-Emery will hold the fort in the middle of the ground, aiming to aid PSG dictate the pace of the game. Verratti, in particular, will be expected to act as the playmaker, fashioning opportunities for the forwards.
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe cut frustrated figures midweek and will be keen to restore their reputations. It will not come as a surprise if the two forwards start brightly and link up for more than one goal on the night.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Donnarumma; Pereira, Ramos, Bitshiabu; Hakimi, Zaire-Emery, Verratti, Vitinha, Mendes; Messi, Mbappe
Key Stats
- Brest are yet to defeat PSG in their last 24 meetings. This is the third longest such streak PSG have achieved against other French opposition.
- Brest have lost their last five home games to PSG in Ligue 1. This is their longest such streak.
- A win on the night will see PSG win consecutive games in Ligue 1 for the first time in 2023.
- With 66 goals scored, PSG have the most potent attack in Ligue 1 so far this season.
- PSG have kept a clean sheet just once in their last 10 games.
Player to Watch
Kylian Mbappe
The French superstar cut a frustrated figure midweek against Bayern Munich and failed to make a difference. With another European campaign down the drain, all attention will now be on securing the Ligue 1 title.
Mbappe is the division’s top scorer and will be expected to start brightly against Brest. Brimming with pace and power, the Frenchman is unstoppable on his day and will prove to be a handful. With Neymar out, the onus to score will fall on Mbappe, a task he should relish fulfilling on Saturday night.
Prediction
Brest 0-3 PSG
With this season’s European campaign done and the Coupe de France exit still fresh in their minds, PSG have just the league to salvage their season. They hold an overwhelming advantage over Brest in terms of quality and should have no problem dispatching the minnows in front of their fans by three clear goals. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for Christophe Galtier’s men.
