Before its decisive Champions League match against Manchester City next Wednesday, PSG must negotiate a complicated trip to Lens this Saturday (5 p.m.) in Ligue 1.
Three days after qualifying for the round of 16 of the Coupe de France, which was difficult to validate against Espaly (2-4), Paris Saint-Germain is already back in Ligue 1 with this trip this Saturday 18 January on the Lens lawn. With a seven-point lead over OM at the top of the standings, the Parisians could be tempted to relax before the very important match against Manchester City scheduled for next Wednesday at the Parc des Princes. But Luis Enrique doesn’t see it that way.
“We see the importance of the Champions League match and you have been talking to me about it for several weeks. But I do not believe that the Manchester City match will have any impact on the result in Lens,” he explained. Friday in a press conference We would prefer to arrive at the Champions League match with a victory in hand and then we will have time to talk about the match against City and Stuttgart. Aware of the danger of such a trip, the Spanish coach should not rotate his team to Bollart this Saturday, as was the case on Wednesday in the Coupe de France against Espaly.
Third clash this season
This is already the third time that the RC Lens and Paris Saint-Germain face each other this season. In Ligue 1, on November 2, 2024, the Parisians won by the smallest margin (1-0), thanks to a goal from Ousmane Dembélé, who will be absent this afternoon. During the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France, on December 22, the two teams had to decide during the penalty shootout after a draw. And in this game, it was again Paris who came out victorious, in pain (1-1, 4 tab to 3). Can Lens then bring down PSG, still undefeated in the league this season after 17 days?
After these first two matches against Paris, Lensois coach Will Still “uno idea of how to approach the meeting” against this Parisian team, of which it will be “the best version” according to him, unlike the Coupe de France match on Wednesday. The Lensois, who have had the whole week to prepare for this shock, do not However, they are not favorites. They have only won 2 of the last 22 matches against PSG in all competitions (7 draws for 13 defeats). in January 2023 (3-1), each time in their Bollaert-Delelis stadium, enough to give them a little hope.
Lens – PSG lineups: two important absentees in Paris
Will Still seems to intend to keep his four-man defense against PSG, having fielded a three-man defense in the Coupe de France during the previous confrontation between the two teams at Bollaert. But the Lensois coach is deprived of Danso (suspended), Khusanov (pending departure for Manchester City) without forgetting goalkeeper Brice Samba, who left for Rennes. Malang Sarr and Jonathan Gradit are in the balance to accompany Medina in central defense. Pereira da Costa, Saïd, El Aynaoui and Aguilar are, however, back in the group.
R’s likely starting lineupC Lens: Koffi – Frankowski, M. Sarr, Medina, Machado – Thomasson, Diouf – Sotoca, Fulgini, Zaroury – Koyalipou.
Luis Enrique will not be able to count on two major players for this trip to the North, since captain Marquinhos and Ousmane Dembélé are not in the Parisian group, even if there is no major concern regarding these two players. Absent against Espaly on Wednesday (paternity), Beraldo should form the central defense with Pacho. Out with injury on Wednesday, Fabian Ruiz is uncertain. The Spanish coach seems tempted to field his best possible team as the match against Manchester City looms next Wednesday, even if one question concerns the goalkeeper position. Safonov could start in place of Donnarumma, as was already the case in the Coupe de France before the break.
PSG’s probable starting lineup : Donnarumma – Hakimi, Beraldo, Pacho, N. Mendes – Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, J. Neves – Lee, D. Doué, Barcola.
Time, channel, how to watch Lens – PSG live
This match between RC Lens and PSG will not be broadcast unencrypted on French television since it will only be visible on beIN Sports 1, for which you must subscribe. To follow this meeting between RC Lens and Paris Saint-Germain on the Internet, from 5 p.m. this Saturday, January 18, you must go to the Internet, at the Canal+ websitewhich broadcasts beIN Sports on its platform.
For this meeting of the 18th day of Ligue 1, PSG is given favorite by the various sports betting sites for this third meeting of the season against Lens. The odds for a Parisians victory oscillate between 1.6 and 1.7 while that of a Lensois victory at home is between 4 and 5. The odds for a draw are around 4.