PSG vs Lille: Can hosts dispatch another title contender?
PSG will be pitted against yet another title contender when they take on Lille on Saturday evening.
Last round saw Les Parisiens face Lyon in a mouth-watering tie, and it was Mauricio Pochettino’s troops who came out on top. In addition, 22-year-old Kylian Mbappe hit – and surpassed – a century of goals, making him the youngest in French football history to achieve this. The 4-2 win now has helped PSG return to the Ligue 1 summit, but only just. Lille, who have been leading the table for much of the season as they aim to win their first title since 2011, are only behind the capital giants on goal difference. That means if Christophe Galtier’s men can win at the Parc des Princes, they’ll take over top spot once again – and that’s where things could get more interesting, indeed.
While Lille haven’t been in the best form lately, with just two wins from their last five Ligue 1 games, and three from their last ten across all comps, one shouldn’t discount them so quickly. Why? Their away form tells a different story. Les Dogues are not only unbeaten in their last nine on the road but also have won seven of their last eight Ligue 1 games away from home. Yes, they recently lost 3-0 to PSG in the Coupe de France, but now that they’re out of all competitions, Galtier’s side can solely focus on one thing: the Ligue 1 title. PSG, by contrast, are very much still involved on multiple fronts, and that includes a tough Champions League rematch with Bayern looming on the horizon.
Lille, who come into this game having suffered a rather shock loss to Nimes, will be desperate to make amends for that humbling result. However, Les Dogues, despite their excellent record on the road, don’t have the best history when it comes to playing in Paris. In fact, despite nicking a point off PSG in the reverse fixture just prior to the Christmas break, Lille haven’t beaten PSG at Les Parisiens’ home ground since 1996. Their record reads as eight draws and a very disconcerting 13 defeats since that day, and so if they want to re-gain top spot here, they’ll be battling for more than just three points on Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, PSG will be aiming to avoid losing three home games in a row for the first time since 2007. A win here will also finally give them some breathing room – something the reigning champs could desperately use especially with their European adventure coming up next. They do have some injuries to deal with, with Moise Kean suffering an injury while playing for Italy being the biggest absentee of note. In addition, Pablo Sarabia as well as Mauro Icardi are also expected to miss out, but the great news is that star man Neymar, who’s been out for well over a month, may return to the starting XI. Midfielder Marco Verratti, however, has contracted COVID-19 on top of an injury so won’t be available.
PSG have already seen off one challenger to their crown, and did so with aplomb as they dispatched Lyon in a six goal thriller. Will they do the same to Lille in Saturday’s big clash? Or will Lille end their 25-year long hoodoo in order to take one step closer to winning what would be their first Ligue 1 title in over a decade?
