PSG vs Lyon: Preview and Prediction
The French heavyweight Paris Saint-Germain is determined to successfully defend their Ligue 1 title and also gradually inching towards the champions podium of the 2022-23 season. They will be summoned by the familiar foes Olympique Lyonnais who are eying to reclaim their reputation in the country’s top division league. The Parisian fortress, Parc des Princes will be the host of this anticipated clash between two high-profile counterparts on Monday.
The French capital-based outfit is tightening its grip on the prestigious hexagonal silverware after outclassing each and every opponent week after week. They have claimed the top-most position in the Ligue 1 standings right from the commencement of the current season as no other team is able to strip them from the throne. The Blue and Reds currently have a seven-point lead over the second-placed Marseille side and must be aiming to enlarge it furthermore.
On the other hand, Les Gones who have failed to achieve a Top 3 finish from the last three seasons are on the verge of having yet another disastrous league campaign. Lyon is seated in the 10th position in the points table after being able to fetch only 41 points from 28 league games till now. It seems to be quite difficult for Laurent Blanc and his boys to bounce back from these crises and it may also keep them deprived of European competitions for another year.
Current Form
PSG kick-started their 2022-23 campaign with an undefeated run of 16 successive games however, they failed to continue it and lost four out of the next 12 fixtures. They consummated their March league campaign on a bittering note after ending up on the losing side of a 0-2 clash with Stade Rennais on the previous matchday. The Red and Blacks stunned the heavyweights who could not even open the scoreline at Parc des Princes despite the presence of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe at the front.
Alexandre ‘General’ Lacazette is on top of his form
Lyon’s all three previous Ligue 1 fixtures resulted in draw settlements where they were forced to share the points despite performing well. Their high-scoring encounter with Lille in the 27th matchday was a memorable one as an 89th-minute equalizer from Alexandre Lacazette snatched a crucial point from the paws of the Mastiffs. The OL skipper once again scored an equalizing strike for his side in the following matchday where an own goal from the young central defender Lukeba gave them an early blow against Nantes.
Head-to-Head Record
The Parisians are currently leading the head-to-head record of this rivalry after emerging victorious in 20 out of the previous 30 encounters with the Whites across all competitions. Meanwhile, the OL has managed to register only a single victory from their last nine face-offs and stands on six wins with a minimal winning rate of 20%.
However, the most recent chapter of this rivalry was a nail-biting contest where PSG somehow managed to edge past the home side at Parc Olympique Lyonnais in September 2022. It was the legendary Argentine playmaker Lionel Messi whose 5th-minute left-footed strike with the assistance of Neymar Jr turned out to be the winning difference.
Meanwhile, the last encounter hosted by Parc des Princes was also won by the most successful French football club on a final scoreline of 2-1. Lyon held the Blue and Reds on 1-1 till the end of the regulation period however, the game then headed towards the stoppage time where Mauro Icardi’s stunning header broke the deadlock.
Team News
Christophe Gatlier is likely to make multiple changes to the starting eleven that featured in the Rennes game as a consequence of the defeat. The skipper Marquinhos and the Moroccan sensational wing-back Achraf Hakimi have recovered from their respective injuries and will be returning back into action. Neymar Jr, Presnel Kimpembe, and Sergio Ramos are the high-profile names who are going to miss this forthcoming fixture owing to a fitness crisis.
Mbappe and Messi are expected to lead the line for PSG
We may get to see the star Portuguese goalkeeper guarding the Lyon goal against the Parisians replacing Rémy Riou who has conceded four goals in his last two appearances. The 24-year-old French midfielder Houssem Aouar made an impressive substitute appearance against Nantes and seems fully fit to feature in the starting lineup. Corentin Tolisso will have to make way for Aouar who will be lining up with the likes of Johann Lepenant and Maxence Caqueret in the Lyon midfield.
Predicted Starting XIs
Paris Saint-Germain (4-4-2): Gianluigi Donnarunma; Achraf Hakimi, Danilo Pereira, Marquinhos ©, Nuno Mendes; Warren Zaïre-Emery, Marco Verratti, Carlos Soler, Fabian Ruiz; Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi
Olympique Lyonnais (4-3-3): Anthony Lopes; Nicolas Tagliafico, Castello Lukeba, Dejan Lovren, Sinaly Diomande; Johann Lepenant, Houssem Aouar, Maxence Caqueret; Amin Sarr, Alexandre Lacazette ©, Bradley Barcola
Prediction
The winning odds are heavily favoring the table-toppers PSG to emerge victorious from this encounter and convincingly claim all three points. Whether it’s the current form or head-to-head record or on-paper strength, the Parisians are outclassing their opponent in each and every aspect. However, Christophe Gatlier should not replicate their mistake of undermining the opposition or otherwise they will have to suffer yet another upset in front of home fans.