France’s Ligue 1 will see a top-tier match take place on Sunday night, as Lille host Paris Saint-Germain. The two clubs will meet in a top-four fixture, with three massive points on the line.
Lille will begin the weekend in fourth place and nine points off Paris. The Parisian club is on the verge of running away with the league once more.
FULL-TIME: LOSC 3-0 @KI_Klaksvik 3️⃣ penalties3️⃣ goals3️⃣ points First place in the group secured 🥇✅#LOSCKI pic.twitter.com/CrwIfzzRnS— LOSC (@LOSC_EN) December 14, 2023
FULL-TIME: LOSC 3-0 @KI_Klaksvik 3️⃣ penalties3️⃣ goals3️⃣ points First place in the group secured 🥇✅#LOSCKI pic.twitter.com/CrwIfzzRnS
A win for Lille would open the door for one of the other three clubs in the top four to make an assault on top spot.
Paris Saint-Germain are on an eight-match winning streak in Ligue 1.
Luis Enrique’s team progressed to the knockout stage of the Champions League on Wednesday night thanks to a good result in Dortmund.
Enrique and company can concentrate on the league, with the Christmas period coming up.
Four points currently separate Paris Saint-Germain and second-place Nice. Third-place Monaco are six points behind PSG.
Lille went unbeaten in their last six matches in the league. They took nine points from those six games, winning three and drawing three times.
Paris Saint-Germain lead Ligue 1 in goals scored with 38 after 15 games. They have the third-best defence with 12 goals allowed.
Lille’s defence has conceded 11 goals this season, which is second-best in Ligue 1. Les Dogues’ attack hasn’t set the world on fire, scoring just 19 goals in 15 fixtures.
Paris Saint-Germain edged Lille in their last six head-to-head fixtures. PSG posted a record of 4W-0D-2L The last four games between these clubs saw both teams score and over 2.5 goals.
In 2022-23, Paris went to Lille and smashed Les Dogues to win 7-1. Paris then claimed a home win later in the season, 4-3.
Coach Paulo Fonseca will be without the duo of Ivan Cavaleiro and Tiago Djalo. Both players are recovering from leg injuries. Neither player will be back until January.
Enrique won’t have first-choice goalie Gianluigi Donnarumma due to a suspension. Aranu Tenas should start in net once more for PSG.
Midfielder Fabian Ruiz will miss the game following a shoulder injury. Meanwhile, back-up goalkeeper Keylor Navas will sit out, giving Tenas the chance to start once more. Tenas has made the most of his playing time, turning in excellent performances.
Paris did the league double over Lille last season and should claim another victory over Les Dogues.
The match should be low scoring, with PSG winning 2-0 at full-time. Kylian Mbappe leads the league with 15 goals and could add to his tally.