Lyon, edging ever so closer to a UEFA Champions League spot, will host Ligue 1 leaders PSG at the Goupama Stadium on Sunday.
Paulo Fonseca has had a good enough start to life as the new Lyon manager, as the club are now well-stationed to make it to the UEFA Champions League ahead of the visit of PSG. Les Gones are four points adrift of fourth-placed AS Monaco, as their current form suggests there is plenty of momentum for them to put on a big fight to climb up a few places.
They are on a two-game winning run, which came against Stade Reims and Montpellier, while Lyon are unbeaten on home soil since losing to Marseille at the end of September. Hence, this upcoming clash against PSG could be an entertaining one for the fans of the home side, as they will be behind the team to push themselves for a top-four spot.
Lyon are also hoping to reach the top-tier competition next season, but in the current one, Fonseca will be aiming to go the distance in the Europa League. Friday’s draw for the round of 16 saw Les Gones set up a date with FCSB, and they will want to build momentum towards that game, as a good result against the league leaders will help them in that regard.
PSG are on an incredible run both domestically and in Europe, as they were able to show their class in midweek. The Parisians might have come out as one of the disappointing performers in the Champions League league phase, but they blitzed past local rivals Brest to secure a place in the round of 16.
PSG went through with an aggregate scoreline of 10-0, with the second leg alone producing seven goals. The Parisians will now meet Premier League leaders Liverpool in a blockbuster round-of-16 clash, and given their current form, Luis Enrique will be looking forward to this meeting with all the confidence in the world.
On to league matters, and PSG are unbeaten in Ligue 1 this season and have won their last three games ahead of the tie with Lyon. Last weekend, they only managed a slender 1-0 reverse win to Toulouse away from home, which ensured they maintained a ten-point advantage at the summit, as they now travel to take on traditional rivals Lyon at the Groupama Stadium.
Team News & Tactics
Lyon
Paulo Fonseca is blessed with a fully-fit squad ahead of this crucial run in the league, and the manager might lean towards naming an unchanged lineup that beat Montpellier. The Italian tactician will once again rely on some of the experienced players in the team to take them into the Champions League places and, most importantly, get a result against PSG on Sunday.
Fonseca will set Lyon up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against PSG, with four backs comprising Sael Kumbedi, Clinton Mata, Moussa Niakhate, and Nicolas Tagliafico. Lyon will have a familiar midfield setup with the experienced Nemanja Matic and Tanner Tessmann, with Corentin Tolisso playing the advanced role further ahead.
Rayan Cherki should be operating on the right-hand side of the attack, with the lively Ernest Nuamah operating from the left wing. Georgian forward Georges Mikautadze will lead the line against PSG ahead of the experienced Alexandre Lacazette.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Perri; Kumbedi, Mata, Niakhate, Tagliafico; Matic, Tessmann; Cherki, Tolisso, Nuamah; Mikautadze
PSG
Luis Enrique might end up tinkering with his squad selection for this trip to Lyon, as the medium-term focus will be to keep all key players fit for the UEFA Champions League clash against Liverpool. Hence, some rotations might be in order for Sunday.
In terms of Injury, PSG mostly have a clean bill of health, barring the absence of Warren Zaire-Emery, who is out with a minor issue and should be back before the end of the month. Ibrahim Mbaye is also out of contention, as everybody else is fit for the trip to the Groupama stadium.
Willian Pacho and Marquinhos could be in line to start at the heart of the defence, while Enrique is unlikely to tinker with his full-back selections as Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes are set to keep their places. Fabian Ruiz will start at the base of PSG’s midfield, with Joao Neves and Vitinha on either side of the Spaniard.
Desire Doue could come back into the side in place of Kvhicha Kvaratskhelia, which could see Bradley Barcola move to his usual spot on the left, as the in-form Ousmane Dembele, who has 11 goals in his last seven Ligue 1 games leads the line for PSG against Lyon.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Pacho, Marquinhos, Mendes; Neves, Ruiz, vitinha; doue, Dembele, Barcola
Key Stats
- Lyon are unbeaten at home in Ligue 1 since the start of October.
- Lyon have won their last two Ligue 1 games, scoring nine times in the process.
- PSG are unbeaten in Ligue 1 this season.
- PSG have won their last four matches against Lyon in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Ousmane Dembele
The French forward has had an indifferent season, and it is proving to be one of the best of his career. Going back to the start of the campaign, he was dropped for a rift with Luis Enrique, although that seems to be over, as Dembele continued to shine in the new style under the Spanish manager.
He has 16 goals this season, but 11 of those have come in the last seven games despite Dembele not finding the back of the net last weekend. In such a tremendous vein of form, the Frenchman is one of the in-form forwards on the continent and will be the biggest threat for Lyon when they take on PSG on Sunday.
Prediction
Lyon 1-3 PSG
Lyon are not in a bad vein of form, and could put up a show against PSG on home soil, where they are unbeaten for the last many months in Ligue 1. Would that be enough to stop the Parisians in the form they are currently in? Unlikely.
PSG are now focused on wrapping the league early as well as going the distance in the Champions League. They will bring their A-game to the Groupama Stadium, and that will allow them to secure the three points, although the Parisians are unlikely to keep a clean sheet.
