MX23RW : Monday, January 18 14:06:30| >> :120:12698:12698:
Dec 23, 2020 at 8pm UK at Parc des Princes
PSGParis Saint-Germain
4-0
StrasbourgStrasbourg
Pembele (18'), Mbappe (80'), Gueye (88'), Kean (90+1')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Preview: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Strasbourg - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Wednesday's Ligue 1 clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Strasbourg, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Paris Saint-Germain will be desperate to get their Ligue 1 title charge back on track when they welcome Strasbourg to the Parc des Princes for Wednesday's showdown.

The hosts played out a goalless stalemate with fellow title hopefuls Lille in their most recent outing, whereas Strasbourg's unbeaten run ended at the hands of Bordeaux.


Match preview

Paris Saint-Germain PSG manager Thomas Tuchel pictured in November 2020© Reuters

PSG's chances of a fourth-straight Ligue 1 crown are already under serious threat, with Thomas Tuchel's champions dropping more points in the title race against a dogged Lille side, who managed to prevent PSG from scoring at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Sunday.

Tuchel's side ensured that their defence was not breached by Les Dogues as well, but that goalless draw favoured Lille more than it did PSG, who sit one point adrift of the table-topping Dogues in third, with Lyon sandwiched in between the two sides.

Furthermore, Marseille have two games in hand over the three teams above them, and if Les Olympiens win them both, they will sit at the top of the pile as this fascinating title race promises to throw up a plethora of twists and turns in the new year.

Tuchel's crop at PSG simply swept the competition aside between September and November, but the Parisiens have since managed to pick up just two wins from their last six in Ligue 1, and the champions also lost three more players to injury against Lille as their infirmary fills up again.

A victory here would give PSG the best chance possible of ending the year at the top of the rankings, and while Lille may struggle to take all three points at Montpellier, Lyon will certainly be expected to prevail against Nantes and keep PSG off top spot for the time being.

Strasbourg manager Thierry Laurey pictured in February 2020© Reuters

Meanwhile, Strasbourg have managed to steer themselves away from the drop zone in recent weeks, but Thierry Laurey was powerless to stop his side succumbing to defeat against Bordeaux in their final home game of 2020.

Brazilian duo Pablo and Otavio both found the back of the net as Les Coureurs' four-game unbeaten run came to an abrupt end, and Strasbourg are still waiting for their first home win since the second weekend of the season.

Laurey's side are two points clear of the bottom three, though, but there is no getting away from the fact that it has been a dismal start to the campaign for Wednesday's visitors to the capital, who will attempt to somehow defy the odds and avoid a thrashing against a PSG side with a point to prove.

Les Coureurs are at real risk of dropping into 18th with Nimes facing basement side Dijon this week, and while it is not impossible for 19th-placed Lorient to leapfrog Strasbourg too, Laurey's men boast a far superior goal difference and should not be in any danger of slipping into the automatic relegation places.

Strasbourg managed to get the better of PSG as recently as the 2017-18 campaign, and a last-minute Neymar winner was all that separated the two sides in this fixture last season.

Paris Saint-Germain Ligue 1 form: LDWLWD
Paris Saint-Germain form (all competitions): WWWLWD

Strasbourg Ligue 1 form: LDWDWL


Team News

Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar reacts after sustaining an injury against Lyon in Ligue 1 on December 13, 2020© Reuters

Presnel Kimpembe produced one of the tackles of the season to stop Burak Yilmaz from scoring on Sunday, but it came at a cost and the defender is set to miss this game with a hamstring injury.

Layvin Kurzawa came off with a problem in the same area against Lille and is unlikely to feature in this one as well, while Alessandro Florenzi - PSG's third casualty of that draw - is reportedly facing three weeks out with a sprained ankle.

The trio join the already-injured Abdou Diallo, Danilo Pereira, Mauro Icardi, Pablo Sarabia and Juan Bernat in the treatment room, with Neymar also sidelined for at least another couple of weeks and Leandro Paredes also ruled out.

Tuchel may decide to switch back to a four-man defence given their recent injuries, with Colin Dagba, Mitchel Bakker and Kylian Mbappe all expected to start PSG's final game of 2020.

Strasbourg have a number of injury concerns to deal with themselves, with Lamine Kone and Bingourou Kamara not expected to return to the fold until the New Year.

Laurey may opt for a five-man defence in order to try to quell the rampant PSG attack - a move which would see Stefan Mitrovic come back into the side, and Habib Diallo will also hope to start this one up top.

Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Navas; Dagba, Kehrer, Marquinhos, Bakker; Gueye, Verratti, Rafinha; Di Maria, Kean, Mbappe

Strasbourg possible starting lineup:
Kawashima; Lala, Djiku, Mitrovic, Simakan, Caci; Sissoko, Aholou; Thomasson; Ajorque, Diallo


SM words green background

We say: Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 Strasbourg

Strasbourg had enjoyed a string of respectable results before that loss to Bordeaux brought them crashing back down to earth, and it is extremely difficult to see Les Coureurs making their trip to the capital count for something. PSG will view this game as the perfect opportunity to end the year on a high and rectify the weekend's mistakes, so we expect the champions to cruise to three points in their final game of 2020.


Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting over 2.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Over 2.5:data


ID:427424:cQx

How you voted: PSG vs Strasbourg

Paris Saint-Germain
86.9%
Draw
7.1%
Strasbourg
6.0%
84
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Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar reacts after sustaining an injury against Lyon in Ligue 1 on December 13, 2020
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Todays Game Header Right
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Paris Saint-GermainPSG20133444113342
2Lille20126235152042
3Lyon20117239192040
4MonacoMonaco20113639291036
5Rennes2010643022836
6Marseille189542618832
7Angers209382531-630
8Bordeaux208572321229
9Metz207762118328
10Lens198472929028
11Montpellier HSCMontpellier208483335-228
12Brest2082103136-526
13StrasbourgStrasbourg2072112932-323
14Nice196582228-623
15Reims205692831-321
16Saint-EtienneSt Etienne204792030-1019
17NantesNantes203982032-1218
18Nimes2043131641-2515
19Dijon192891226-1414
20Lorient1933132038-1812

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