Paris Saint-Germain will be eager to get back to winning ways after a tough week before the international break, as they resume Ligue 1 action against RC Strasbourg.
Luis Enrique would want his players to re-focus on their tasks ahead of a crucial period at this stage of the season. PSG did not win their last two games in all competitions before the international break, starting with the loss away to Arsenal and then the draw to OGC Nice away from home, with their next test coming against RC Strasbourg.
The Nice clash was crucial to their league standing, as PSG were dethroned from the top of the table by AS Monaco, who now have a two-point advantage. Ali Al-Abdi opened the scoring for the home side, and it took a Moise Bombito own goal to bring the Parisians level. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with Enrique’s men dropping two points.
In those two away games, PSG essentially struggled to attack the box, and Enrique will want to improve that going forward. Should Monaco win their encounter against Lille, PSG will come under pressure to match that result, and Enrique will want to stay close to the leaders in the standings, as they now host Strasbourg in Paris.
Liam Rosenior will come into this game with confidence as well as some concern, as Strasbourg will look for a positive result in Paris. While the team sits in seventh place with 10 points after seven games, they have lost only once all season.
However, their away form has been a significant source of concern, following only one win in 2024, something Rosonier will want to improve. However, the Strasbourg boss will take the positives more than the negatives, as he will look to exploit PSG and their dodgy form for at least a point.
Strasbourg have already made a big statement this season with a stunning 1-0 win over title-chasing Marseille, and beating PSG will fill them with confidence. Before the international break, Strasbough fought back twice to level the game against RC Lens, to eventually end it in a 2-2 draw, and will hope for a better performance than that against the Parisians.
Team News & Tactics
Paris Saint-Germain
Lucas Hernandez, Presnel Kimpembe, and Goncalo Ramos are the only known absentees from this PSG side. Luis Enrique will want the latter to return as soon as possible, as the Portuguese striker could provide a solution to their somewhat lacklustre attacking form.
There are some fatigue complaints as South American defensive trio Marquinhos, Lucas Beraldo, and Willian Pacho have returned late from their international commitments. Pacho and Marquinhos are key to Enrique’s defensive plans, meaning that, fatigue or not, they will likely start for PSG against Strasbourg.
Meanwhile, Enrique will have been happy that three of his key stars, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Warren Zaire-Emery, and Joao Neves, did not feature in the second game of the international break. This means they will be ready to play over the weekend. Neves and Zaire-Emery are expected to feature in the PSG midfield alongside the experienced Fabian Ruiz.
Ousmane Dembele will continue to lead the attacking lineup, as he might have cleared his differences with Enrique. Bradley Barcola and Randal Kolo Muani are expected to keep their places in the front three, with the latter set to play the central role.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Neves, Ruiz; Dembele, Kolo Muani, Barcola
Strasbourg
Liam Rosenior has a rather longer list of injured stars, with at least five of his first-teamers missing from the weekend’s trip to Paris. Alaa Bellaarouch, Milos Lukovic, Yoni Gomis, Thomas Delaine, and Caleb Wiley are all missing from action.
Moreover, the draw with Lens also brought further casualties in terms of suspensions, as Guela Doue and Ismael Doukoure picked up yellows that would see them miss out on the trip to Paris. Strasbourg are expected to maintain their shape in the 4-2-3-1 formation against PSG.
Saidou Sow and Abakar Sylla are expected to stick in their central defensive setup, with Eduard Sobol and Diego Moreira likely to take the full-back roles. Chelsea loanee Andrey Santos will keep his place in midfield, and in Doukoure’s absence, Felix Lemarechal will take his place there.
Dilane Bakwa and Sebastian Nanasi will play in the wide areas, while Habib Diarra will play in the attacking midfield role. Emanuel Emegha will lead the line for Strasbourg against PSG this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Sobol, Sow, Sylla, Diego Moreira; Lemarechal, Andrey Santos; Bakwa, Diarra, Nanasi; Emegha
Key Stats
- PSG have won 14 of their last 15 home matches against Strasbourg in all competitions.
- Paris Saint-Germain have been winning at both half time and full time in six of their last eight home matches against Strasbourg in all competitions.
- Paris Saint-Germain are winless in their last two games across all competitions.
- RC Strasbourg have lost only once this season in Ligue 1.
- Strasbourg have only one away win in the entire calendar year.
Player to Watch
Ousmane Dembele
The big talk emerging from PSG’s perspective is that they are conceding goals and missing Kylian Mbappe’s goalscoring prowess. This is where Dembele’s name comes into the equation again, as his bust-up with Luis Enrique was the biggest talking point before the international break.
PSG clearly need his presence on the pitch, as the French winger probably gives them a big presence in the attacking third. With none of his teammates scoring in either of the last two games, the onus is on Dembele to revive this attack and get PSG back into the thick of the title race.
Prediction
PSG 2-1 Strasbourg
Strasbourg might have started their season well, but the many absentees ahead of the trip to Paris might pivotally affect their chances in this daunting away clash. Either way, they will come here with confidence in keeping their good run in the league going.
However, PSG have been somewhat shook by their drop in standards, and Luis Enrique will not tolerate any more lapses. Hence, the Spanish coach will want a big response at the weekend, and his players will get the win, albeit with a narrow 2-1 scoreline, as per our prediction.
