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League leaders Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will welcome 11th-placed Troyes to the Parc des Princes for their Ligue 1 clash on Saturday afternoon (October 29). PSG are on an 18-game unbeaten run this season and will fancy themselves to take it further with a positive result against Troyes.
The Parisians, who secured their Champions League last-16 qualification with a 7-2 win over Maccabi Haifa on Tuesday (October 25), will be without Danilo Pereira against Troyes. Apart from the midfielder, who is still recovering from his hamstring injury, all first-team players are available for Christophe Galtier’s selection.
With the brief team news out of the way, let’s check out the lineup Galtier could pick for the matchday 13 clash against Troyes on Saturday:
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Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma
PSG’s first-choice goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma should start once again when Troyes come to town on Saturday. The Italian goalkeeper was not exactly at his best in the midweek Champions League clash against Maccabi Haifa, conceding two headers.
The first goal, in particular, was rather poor, as the Italian should have been more assertive while coming out to collect the cross. He will look to bounce back with a more confident performance against the Ligue 1 visitors this week.
Center-back: Sergio Ramos
Having served a two-match domestic suspension for his direct red card at Reims, Sergio Ramos will be eager to get back to Ligue 1 action this weekend. The Spain international has performed admirably for PSG this season, scoring once in 16 appearances across competitions.
The battle between Ramos and athletically-gifted Troyes winger Mama Balde is set to be one of the major attractions of the game.
Center-back: Marquinhos
PSG skipper Marquinhos started against Maccabi Haifa on Tuesday night but failed to instill calmness into the back line. Often hurried, Marquinhos struggled in aerial duels, was easily shaken off by Haifa's forwards, and was not alert enough for either of Abdoulaye Seck’s goals.
He will hope for a considerably better outing against Troyes this weekend.
Center-back: Presnel Kimpembe
Galtier has used four at the back in his recent matches, but chances are he could revert to a back three to reunite the Ramos-Marquinhos-Kimpembe trio on Saturday.
Kimpembe, who has missed the last five league matches due to a hamstring injury, played 11 minutes in the Champions League encounter against Haifa. A good performance against Troyes could give the Frenchman’s morale a tangible boost.
Right-wingback: Achraf Hakimi
Widely hailed as one of the best right-backs in the world, Achraf Hakimi produced a stunning performance against Haifa on Tuesday. His crossing was on point, he made regular forward runs, and assisted Kylian Mbappe’s 64th-minute goal.
Unless he feels jaded, Galtier is likely to give him another chance to stretch his legs against Troyes this Saturday.
Central midfield: Marco Verratti
PSG central midfielder Marco Verratti missed the Champions League clash against the Israeli champions due to an accumulation of yellow cards. Fully rested, the Italian should be a shoo-in for the clash against Troyes.
Verratti has been instrumental to this PSG side. He helps them dictate the game’s tempo, carries the ball forward from time to time, and stretches play with his long ball distribution. Expect him to produce a classy performance against the midtable outfit on Saturday.
Central midfield: Fabian Ruiz
Having started Vitinha in midweek, Galtier could look to try a new combination in midfield against Troyes, pairing Ruiz up with Verratti.
The Spaniard is an expert at carrying the ball into the opposition third and is not afraid to take defenders on. With Verratti holding down the fort, he could get the license to surge forward and get his first goal or assist for the Parisians this weekend.
Left-wingback: Nuno Mendes
PSG’s first-choice left-back Nuno Mendes was on the bench in the 7-2 win over Maccabi Haifa on Tuesday. Considering he is fully fit, Galtier could call upon him to replace Juan Bernat on the left side.
Given how well Bernat has performed lately, the pressure will be on the Portuguese left-back to prove his mettle and show why he deserves his place in the team.
Right wing: Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi ran the show for PSG on Tuesday, scoring a couple of goals and setting up two more. Operating at the peak of his abilities, Messi has scored 11 goals and claimed 12 assists in 16 matches (across competitions) for the Parisians this season.
Troyes will do their best to frustrate PSG with their five-man backline on Saturday. Messi, who is arguably the most creative player on the team, could be key in breaching their resistance.
Center forward: Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe may not have been as involved as Messi against Haifa, but he matched his goal contributions, picking up two goals and two assists himself. Mbappe’s pace and directness were often too much to deal with for Haifa and the same could happen against Troyes.
If Mbappe can find a way to stretch his legs, it would not be surprising to see him add to his goal tally. So far, the Frenchman has 16 goals and four assists to his name in 16 appearances for PSG across competitions.
Left wing: Neymar
Neymar missed the Ligue 1 clash against Ajaccio due to an accumulation of yellow cards. Returning to Ligue 1 action after a 12-day hiatus, the Brazilian will look to mark the occasion in the best possible way.
Neymar was also on the scoresheet against Haifa, extending his blistering start to the season. The former Barcelona has thus far featured in 17 games for the Parisians, scoring 13 times and claiming 10 assists across competitions.
