How PSG could line up against Basaksehir

9:33am on Monday 7th December 2020
By Nicholas Hughes

PSG will welcome back all of their star names as they host Istanbul Basaksehir with their Champions League hopes on the line.

Thomas Tuchel’s side must score at least a point against the Turks if they are to go through with Manchester United and RB Leipzig set to do battle with them for the two knockout places.

Neymar helped PSG to a huge win over Manchester United last week and insisted he did not come to Paris to play in the Europa League.

The Brazilian will come into this one with fresh legs having not featured over the weekend and will have 90 minutes to prove him and his side’s fate in Europe.

PSG: Squad, FC Ratings, Matches, Formations

2020/21 Champions League: Groups, Matches, Team Stats, Player Stats

Kylian Mbappe is also well rested as he played just over 10 minutes on Saturday, but even that was enough time for him to score PSG’s third in a 3-1 win away at Montpellier.

Moise Kean scored a fifth league goal of the season in that win, but Tuchel will likely go with the experience of Angel Di Maria from the start, with Kean providing an option from the bench.

Les Parisiens appear at relatively full strength with Marco Verratti also set to return with fresh legs into midfield, with Leandro Paredes and Danilo Pereira also spared most of the trip to Montpellier.

And the back four could well remain in what would be an unchanged XI from the defeat of United last week, with Abdou Diallo the only one to feature at the weekend.

The French champions defeated Basaksehir 2-0 in the reverse fixture and have won consecutive games in this season’s Champions League for the first time.

A win would see Tuchel’s men top of the group and while it is one they would be expected to achieve, the German will ensure no complacency from his players as they seek redemption on the continent.