PSG and OGC Nice will be vying to remain unbeaten in Ligue 1 when they face off in Paris, with the both sides looking for wins.
PSG, who face OGC Nice this week, have had a challenging start to their season, drawing their opening two games before finally hitting form. A new-look team under Luis Enrique, the Parisians have taken their time to build momentum but have shown relentlessness in the last two games against Lens and Lyon.
Before the international break, Enrique’s men thrashed Lyon away from home, which resulted in the opposition sacking their manager, Laurent Blanc. PSG will aim to continue their winning run and stay alert to the possibility of leaders AS Monaco dropping their levels when they take on Nice.
This Friday, at the Parc des Princes, Paris Saint-Germain will celebrate 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐨 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢 during a pre-match ceremony from 8pm 🏟️
All supporters are therefore invited to get to the stadium early to salute Marco for his 11 seasons at the club ❤️💙#PSGOGCN I… pic.twitter.com/IxxfZFgvEW
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) September 14, 2023
Considering some tough fixtures that lay ahead, three points at home against Nice will seem essential for Enrique. Next up for PSG are home games to Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League, and then Marseille come visiting Paris for a crunch encounter next week.
OGC Nice will not be happy with their performances as they have somehow clung to their unbeaten start to the campaign. After collecting three points from as many opening games of the season, Francisco Farioli’s side got their first win against Strasbourg.
Goals from Youcef Atal and a late strike from Terem Moffi put the game beyond Strasbourg’s reach and allowed Nice to go into the break in a positive mood. Yet, for all the talk of remaining unbeaten, Nice still languish in the seventh spot, although a win over PSG could push them above their hosts at the end of this matchday.
Nice have not had the easiest fixture list at the start of the season, with all their three draws coming against Lille, Lorient and Lyon. After the PSG game, they will face current league leaders AS Monaco, as these next two games seem crucial for Farioli’s side to maintain momentum with the top order of Ligue 1.
Team News & Tactics
Paris Saint-Germain
Luis Enrique will have to ring in enforced changes due to the South American internationals. With the game played on Friday night, players like Marquinhos, Manuel Ugarte and Keylor Navas will not have time to acclimatise to the French timezone.
📌 Medical update ahead of #PSGOGCN@Aspetar
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) September 14, 2023
With that in mind, it is unwarranted to risk their involvement in this clash. Hence, Enrique could make some changes. While Navas is not expected to start anyway, Danilo Pereira and Vitinha could replace Marquinhos and Ugarte in the lineup. However, Enrique might bring Ugarte into the setup following a minor injury to Ruiz that will keep him out for a few days.
Apart from that, many injured players are likely to sit out, but nothing that would disrupt Enrique’s current starting eleven. Lucas Hernandez will again play as a left-back, while Achraf Hakimi and Milan Skriniar are set to form parts of the backline.
Ugarte could sit at the base of their midfield, with youngster Warren Zaire-Emery and Vitinha on either side. Enrique could bring one of Goncalo Ramos or Randal Kolo Muani to lead the line following Marco Asensio’s injury, keeping him sidelined until September end.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Pereira, Skriniar, Hernandez; Zaire-Emery, Ugarte, Vitinha; Dembele, Ramos, Mbappe
OGC Nice
Francesco Farioli must make minor changes to his setup and tinker to find his best possible lineup to face PSG. The win over Strasbourg gives Nice some momentum; hence, sticking with a similar lineup would make more sense for the manager.
📋 Voici le groupe convoqué par Francesco Farioli pour défier le @PSG_inside ce vendredi (coup d'envoi à 21h)#OGCNice #PSGOGCN pic.twitter.com/gebQ4sMqBQ
— OGC Nice (@ogcnice) September 14, 2023
Unfortunately, in that game, Nice lost left-back Melvin Bard to an injury 13 minutes before time. He could miss this trip to Paris, allowing Farioli to give Southampton loanee Romain Perraud a start in that position.
Injury-wise, Khephren Thuram has only just returned and may not be risked. Antoine Mendy and Alexis Claude-Maurice are also missing with fitness issues. With Perraud being the only potential change to the backline, the rest will remain the same, with Jean-Clair Todibo marshalling their defence.
Youssouf Ndayishimiye will sit at the base of their midfield, with Hicham Boudaoui and Morgan Sanson on either side. Last match’s goalscorer, Terem Moffi, will continue to lead the line with Sofiane Diop and Gaetan Laborde on either side of him in the front three.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Bulka; Atal, Todibo, Dante, Perraud; Boudaoui, Ndayishimiye, Sanson; Laborde, Moffi, Diop
Key Stats
- PSG and OGC Nice are unbeaten in Ligue 1 this season.
- Paris Saint-Germain are undefeated in their last 14 home matches against Nice in all competitions.
- Paris Saint-Germain have won only two games from their last six in Ligue 1.
- Nice are undefeated in their last seven matches in Ligue 1.
- Since the start of last season, Nice have suffered only five defeats on the road in Ligue 1.
Player to Watch
Goncalo Ramos
Gonçalo Ramos played just (5) passes, and had just (14) touches against Luxembourg, yet he scored twice. 🪄
Some serious attacking quality in that team. 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/2JdoSeSD7g
— StatmanJames (@JamesStatman) September 11, 2023
PSG signed Randal Kolo Muani and Ramos in the same window, and incidentally, Luis Enrique has used Marco Asensio as a false nine in the last two games. However, with the Spaniard now injured, there is a door opening for one of those strikers, but the Portuguese might get the nod against Nice.
The reason might be due to Ramos’s good performances in goal for Portugal, while Kolo Muani shot blanks when selected for France. To Enrique, reputation matters less, and the form of his players plays a far greater role in his thinking. Hence, against OGC Nice, Ramos might get his chance to shine, but he must know the Frenchman is lurking behind to take his spot.
Prediction
Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 OGC Nice
These are two strong sides in Ligue 1 going off against each other in a pivotal clash so early in the season. PSG does have a slight upper hand with home comforts and the quality of their squad, but Nice are known to fight for relevance in these big games.
PSG may edge out Nice at home and take the three points narrowly. Francesco Farioli’s men have the resilience to put up a solid fight in clashes like these, but Enrique’s men have the quality and desire to get the job done to get a third win on the trot under their belt.
