Sunday’s Ligue 1 programme kicks off at the Parc des Princes as out-of-sorts Paris Saint-Germain entertain familiar foes Lille in a blockbuster fixture.
Another dire performance in a 1-0 home defeat to Bayern Munich in midweek Champions League action led to the joint-record French champions’ third consecutive loss in all competitions.
One positive from an otherwise dismal evening for PSG was Kylian Mbappe’s return from injury, with the quicksilver forward even getting on the scoresheet, only to see his goal ruled out for offside in the build-up.
Christophe Galtier’s men have suffered a stuttering start to the new calendar year, already losing five times, including a 3-1 demolition at Monaco last weekend, as many defeats as in the whole of 2022.
But despite their sub-standard form in 2023, Les Parisiens still boast a solid five-point lead at the summit, though Lille’s visit to the capital threatens to put Galtier under more pressure.
Paulo Fonseca’s charges have gone from back-to-back scoreless Ligue 1 outings (D1, L1) to back-to-back wins by a two-goal margin, boosting their spirits ahead of this contest.
As the last Ligue 1 side to beat PSG at the Parc des Princes in top-flight action, doing so in April 2021, Lille will fancy their chances against their esteemed hosts, hoping to close a six-point deficit on the top three.
Match Preview
Paris Saint-Germain
PSG have gone unbeaten in 33 consecutive home league outings since that loss to Lille (W28, D5), dropping points just twice in 11 top-flight games at the Parc des Princes this term (W9, D2).
However, with their recent showings lacking conviction, it’s hard to rule out the prospect of Les Parisiens losing four matches in a row during a single season for the first time since 2000.
Mbappe’s timely return to full fitness will increase PSG’s chances of getting back on track as the French superstar broke the deadlock within ten seconds to help Galtier’s side thrash Lille 7-1 in the reverse fixture.
Lille
Following a topsy-turvy league start, Les Dogues have taken a massive stride towards re-establishing themselves as legitimate top-three candidates after losing once in their last eight matches (W4, D3).
Lille could solidify their pursuit of Champions League placings with another win here, though it’s worth noting they’ve managed back-to-back Ligue 1 triumphs on the road only once this season.
Only three sides have won more Ligue 1 games on hostile turf than Fonseca’s team this term (five), even though they’ve blown hot and cold on their last three league travels (W1, D1, L1).
Paris Saint-Germain vs Lille Potential Line-ups
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Presnel Kimpembe, Nuno Mendes; Warren Zaire-Emery, Marco Verratti, Vitinha; Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar.
Lille (4-2-3-1): Lucas Chevalier; Bafode Diakite, Jose Fonte, Tiago Djalo, Gabriel Gudmundsson; Benjamin Andre, Angel Gomes; Edon Zhegrova, Remy Cabella, Jonathan Bamba; Jonathan David.
How to Watch?
PSG vs Lille, coupled with all other Ligue 1 fixtures, is available to watch online via Ligue 1 live streams.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Lille Prediction
Having finally reassembled their star-studded attacking trident, PSG will be confident about overcoming a rough patch against high-flying visitors.
Defensive resilience has been a common feature in Galtier’s previous reigns, but Les Parisiens’ backline is prone to conceding cheap goals, so we back Lille to trouble the scoreboard.
Unfortunately for Fonseca’s team, keeping PSG’s Martian frontline at bay looks almost impossible.
With that in mind, we envisage a tight win for the home side.
Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Lille
