Luis Enrique will be hoping his PSG side’s trajectory is similar to how it was last season as he prepares his squad for the upcoming Ligue 1 clash with Paris FC. At the time, the Parisians were not at their best, but did flourish in the second half of the campaign that saw them win the Ligue 1, Coupe De France and the Champions League.
They have since added the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, with the latter courtesy of a penalty shootout win over Flamengo. However, Enrique will want to shift his focus towards proceedings in Ligue 1, where they sit four points behind leaders RC Lens, albeit having played a game less than their rivals.
PSG now host Paris FC in the Paris Derby, a fixture that has not seen Ligue 1 action in over 46 years. Enrique will want a stellar victory in this context to get within one point of leaders RC Lens at the top of the standings. Given their overall form and quality, the treble winners are expected to win this one, although derbies always have the element of surprise in them.
Meanwhile, Stephane Gilli will want his side to use the recent momentum from a 3-0 over lower league opposition US Raon-l’Étape in the Coupe de France to get some valuable results in Ligue 1.
Having started the season off brightly when they recorded only three losses in their first seven games, Paris FC did build a good base to escape relegation from the get-go. However, they have since recoded only one win in the subsequent nine Ligue 1 games, which includes five losses.
Those bad results have pushed Paris FC down to 14th place, and only four points off the danger zone. While they come into this much-publicised Paris Derby as the overwhelming underdogs, Gilli will hope for a fighting display from his players against their mammoth cross-city rivals, PSG.
A mixture of injuries and AFCON commitments could mean PSG will come into this clash without at least five of their players. Those include Matvey Safonov, Quentin Ndjantou, Lee Kang-in, Achraf Hakimi, and Ibrahim Mbaye.
Over the last few weeks, Luis Enrique will have been relieved to see many of his key attackers like Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue get back to their best shape, and he will need them for the second part of the season.
Warren Zaire-Emery will continue as PSG’s right-back for the time being, at least until Hakimi returns. He will start alongside Marquinhos, Willian Pacho and Nuno Mendes in the back four.
Enrique will also be able to call upon a strong front three as Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will feature there. Meanwhile, PSG will also rely on their regular midfield setup of Fabian Ruiz, Joao Neves and Vitinha there.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Chevalier; Zaire-Emery; Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Neves; Barcola, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia
Paris FC will come into this clash without Samir Chergui, Ilan Kebbal, Jean-Philippe Krasso, Moses Simon and Hamari Traore, with all those absentees a result of their AFCON commitments.
On the injury front, there are significant doubts about the participation of Pierre-Yves Hamel and Pierre Lees-Melou for this trip to PSG. Stephane Gilli might go with a rather pragmatic approach with Willem Geubbels, the solitary striker, to lead the line for Paris FC.
He will resort to a five-man midfield, with Maxime Lopez at the base, while Vincent Marchetti and Adama Camara on either side. Mathieu Cafaro and Jonathan Ikone will provide the width in this setup, who may operate in more of a wide attacking position rather than wing-backs.
Probable Lineup (4-5-1): Trapp; Sangui; Mbow, Otavio, Smet; Cafaro, Marchetti, Lopez, Camara, Ikone; Geubbels
Barcola could face a testing time in his PSG career, as he needs to put in game-defining performances to cement his place in the team. Luis Enrique has often used a fluid system up front, and while Barcola remains a key part of his plans, he’s not someone starting every week.
In fact, the French international failed to take advantage of the injury to Desire Doue, and while his performances during that period have been decent, he still needs a big display. Hence, should the winger start against Paris FC, he must put in a performance worthy of Enrique keeping faith in him and starting again in the next game.
Paris FC might get the feel of the derby right from the get-go, but they are the overwhelming underdogs in this clash. They come into this fixture at the back of one win in their last nine games across all competitions and none in Ligue 1, so there is pressure on Stephane Gilli’s men.
Meanwhile, Luis Enrique is focused on getting his team back to the summit of Ligue 1, and with the European journey paused for the time being, they will want to get back to top form. Hence, games like this one against Paris FC will prove decisive, as PSG are expected to collect a big win on Sunday.
