PSG vs Lyon : Battle for the crown

Ladies and gentlemen, beware today’s match is no ordinary game. It’s THE match. The game between an ex-outsider turned new rich and an ex-king turned poor, the highly symbolic encounter between the two teams who, after 8 matchdays, are the most often tipped for the title.

Coinciding trajectories
PSG -or QSG (Qatar Saint Germain)- had shown their ambitions with a glittering and flashy recruitment this summer, to the point of becoming the logical favorite for the French championship. And OL, despite the change for a return to simplicity -and economy-, has reappeared in the predictions for the podium. But who in mid-August would have bet on a match at the top of L1 between the two clubs for the ninth matchday? Not many.

PSG and Lyon currently have the same number of points and the same number of goals scored and conceded. PSG is only ahead in the standings thanks to Fair Play, having received less cards than OL. This week, the PSG lost on Thursday night to Bilbao in Europa League, whilst OL overclassed (especially in the first period) a weak Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday night in Champions League.

So on Sunday night at the Parc des Princes, PSG’s legs may hurt earlier than those of the Lyonnais, with two days less recovery for some of their players. On the other hand, the Paris club has far less key players injured: Sakho, Bisevac, Hoarau will always be absent ; whilst OL will miss Grenier, Ederson, Lisandro, Cris, and Gourcuff, enough to compose half of a top L1 team.

An equation with many unknowns for Rémi Garde
The OL coach has been scratching his head since he learnt Clément Grenier would be unavailable for this game. Adding to Yoann Gourcuff and Ederson, OL has three axial midfielders in the infirmary before playing the PSG this Sunday. And, having sold Miralem Pjanic just days before the end of the transfer window, one is left to wonder who can be the playmaker, the axial midfielder who will distribute the ball to the forwards. The solution of playing Michel Bastos behind Bafé Gomis did not convince the Lyon coach , especially in comparison with the efficiency of the Brazilian on the wing lately. The option of lining up three defensive midfielders is still possible (Gonalons, Kallstrom, Fofana), which would help resist the Parisian offensive armada; but it seems more likely Rémi Garde will field Briand at the tip of a five-strong midfield, just behind Bafé Gomis, to try and boost Lyon offensive sector. A gamble, even if the coach of Lyon does not have much choice in this area.

An impressive armada in a gelling process for Antoine Kombouaré and Leonardo
With Nené, Gameiro, Menez, PSG could easily forget Hoarau is injured. And now that Pastore started shining and showing his class, the team has found a hell of a playmaker, and even of a goal scorer as of lately. That’s enough to get any L1 team worried. In the back, Sakho is injured, and Lugano hasn’t yet shown what he is said to be capable of; and Paris has found another in form keeper with Salvatore Sirigu. All in all, an impressive war machine, that seems to have got its pieces together remarkably quickly.

The teams:

Paris SG : Sirigu, Ceara (cap.), Lugano, Camara, Tiéné, Bodmer, Matuidi, Ménez, Pastore, Nene, Gameiro

Lyon : Lloris, Réveillère (cap.), B. Koné, Lovren, A. Cissokho, Gonalons, Källström, Lacazette, Briand, Bastos, B. Gomis

Allez l’OL!

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Category: Team News and Rumors