PSG vs Lyon: Ligue 1 Preview, H2H & Predicted Line-ups

Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon go head-to-head at the Parc des Princes in one of the most highly anticipated fixtures on the Ligue 1 football schedule.

Paris were held to an underwhelming 1-1 draw to Club Brugge in their Champions League curtain-raiser despite fielding their all-star attacking trio against lowly opposition.

The hosts will now look to bounce back and maintain their outstanding domestic form against fierce rivals.

Paris Saint-Germain Preview

PSG have been nothing short of exceptional in Ligue 1 this season and they look to be on course of recapturing the domestic title following Lille’s outstanding last season’s success.

Les Parisiens are the only side in France’s top-flight to have won every league match this season (W5), doing so by a resounding 16-5 aggregate scoreline.

Paris’ eye-catching start to the season is a good omen, as they eventually won the league title in both previous campaigns when winning their inaugural five top-flight fixtures.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men have scored exactly four goals in both Ligue 1 games at the Parc des Princes this term, netting 2+ first-half goals on each occasion.

Curiously, none of PSG’s 12 Ligue 1 matches on home turf this calendar year have ended level (W9, L3), with Paris going from three straight defeats in such contests to three victories in a row.

Lionel Messi is set to make his long-awaited debut at the Parc des Princes after featuring in all 90 minutes against Club Brugge on Wednesday.

The Argentine should help Pochettino fill the gap left by Kylian Mbappe’s slight injury setback.

The quicksilver forward picked up an ankle problem in the Champions League and might have to start on the bench.

Lyon Preview

Unlike their hosts, Lyon have taken some time to find their feet in Ligue 1 this season.

After going winless in their first three league matches (D2, L1), Les Gones have racked up back-to-back triumphs over Nantes and Strasbourg, scoring the opener on both occasions.

An upturn in form should encourage the visitors here, as could their impressive unbeaten 90.48% unbeaten ratio away from home since the start of the 2020/21 season (GP21 – W12, D7, L2).

However, Peter Bosz’s men have experienced mixed fortunes on the road this term (W1, L1), with both games won/lost seeing the winner on the day keep a clean sheet.

Bosz will have to shore up his side’s defensive woes and quickly if they are to stand a chance against PSG’s star-studded attacking cast.

Indeed, Lyon have registered just one shutout across their last 11 Ligue 1 outings, 2020/21 included, though a 3-0 Europa League win over Rangers in Scotland looks like an improvement.

The visitors’ hopes of penetrating their hosts’ defence will rest on in-form striker Moussa Dembele, who has scored with each of his last four attempts on target in Ligue 1.

Karl Toko Ekambi could be an early threat after scoring each of his last six top-flight goals before half-time.

Paris Saint-Germain vs Lyon Head-to-Head

Only one of Lyon’s last 13 Ligue 1 trips to Paris has seen them finish on the right end of a scoreline, though it was their most recent travel in December 2020.

Even though Tino Kadewere handed Lyon a hard-fought 1-0 triumph at the Parc des Princes in this exact fixture last season, Lyon still lament a disappointing 31% win-rate against PSG in Ligue 1 (26/84).

Against this backdrop, Les Gones have inflicted five top-flight defeats on Paris since the Qatari takeover, more than any other side in the French top division.

Paris Saint-Germain vs Lyon Predicted Line-ups

Paris Saint-Germain (4-2-3-1): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Nuno Mendes, Presnel Kimpembe, Marquinhos, Achraf Hakimi; Ander Herrera, Idrissa Gueye; Angel Di Maria, Neymar, Lionel Messi; Mauro Icardi.

Lyon (4-2-3-1): Anthony Lopes; Emerson, Jason Denayer, Damien Da Silva, Malo Gusto; Maxence Caqueret, Bruno Guimaraes; Lucas Paqueta, Houssem Aouar, Xherdan Shaqiri; Karl Toko Ekambi.