Neymar, Mbappe, Di Maria start - PSG line-up v Montpellier

11:22am on Friday 4th December 2020
By Robin Bairner

Paris Saint-Germain impressed in their 3-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday, but victory in that encounter has not sealed their progress in the Champions League.

PSG need at least a point against Istanbul Basaksehir at home on Tuesday if they are to move through to the last 16.

Having done all the hard work, Thomas Tuchel’s side will not want to throw it away now, and that may mean that they are willing to rotate their squad to some extent against Montpellier in Ligue 1 action on Saturday.

Tuchel should have much of his squad available for the trip to Stade de la Mosson. Pablo Sarabia and Mauro Icardi, who were absent from the Manchester match, remain doubtful, while Juan Bernat and Julian Draxler are both still sidelined.

While it is unlikely that either Neymar or Kylian Mbappe is rested, Di Maria, who did not play a minute at Old Trafford, is liable to return.

That could signal wither Mbappe playing centrally in either a 4-2-2-2 system alongside Moise Kean in attack or alone in a 4-3-3.

There are changes expected in the midfield, too. Idrissa Gueye could be recalled to action after playing only a few minutes in midweek. Danilo Pereira would be the obvious candidate to drop out.

In defence, meanwhile, perhaps the only tweak will be Abdou Diallo, who played left-back in midweek, dropping out. Mitchel Bakker is liable to come into the team after a decisive cameo in which he won the corner from which Marquinhos ultimately scored the leveller.

Thilo Kehrer might also start, though that depends on his fitness after injury, while Keylor Navas has been nursing a problem that has seen him drop out between Champions League matches on a couple of occasions this season.

Montpellier, meanwhile, will be deprived of striker Andy Delort, who has tested positive for Covid-19 for a second time in three months.

He had previously enjoyed some needle with the Parisians, taking aim particularly at Leandro Paredes.

Speaking to Le Parisien, he said: “The worst at PSG is Paredes. It’s amazing how he talks. He insults everyone on the pitch. And yet his name is Paredes. Not Neymar.”

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