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Saint-Etienne
Ligue 1 | Gameweek 18
Dec 15, 2019 at 8pm UK
 
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0-4

 
FT(HT: 0-2)
Neymar (9'), Mbappe (43', 89'), Icardi (72')

Preview: Saint-Etienne vs. Paris Saint-Germain - prediction, team news, lineups

:Headline: Preview: Saint-Etienne vs. Paris Saint-Germain - prediction, team news, lineups: ID:382784: from db_amp
Sports Mole previews Sunday's Ligue 1 clash between Saint-Etienne and Paris Saint-Germain, including team news and predicted lineups.

Paris Saint-Germain will switch their attention back to Ligue 1 affairs this weekend as they prepare to travel to Stade Geoffroy-Guichard to take on Saint-Etienne.

Thomas Tuchel's side are currently five points clear at the top of Ligue 1, while Saint-Etienne sit eighth having collected 25 points from their 17 league matches during the 2019-20 campaign.


Match preview

Preview: Saint-Etienne vs. PSG - prediction, team news, lineups

Saint-Etienne brought their 2019-20 Europa League campaign to a close with a 1-0 loss at Wolfsburg on Thursday night. The French side failed to pick up a single win from their six group fixtures, ultimately finishing third in the section behind Gent and Wolfsburg.

Claude Puel's side recorded a 4-1 win over Nice in their last home league game on December 4, but they will enter this weekend's clash off the back of successive defeats to Reims and Wolfsburg.

Seven wins and four draws have seen Saint-Etienne pick up 25 points from their 17 matches, leaving them in eighth spot in the table. They are only three points off third-placed Lille as things stand, meaning that a positive result on Sunday is likely to propel them up the division.

No team in the top half of Ligue 1 has conceded more times (23) than the Greens this season, which will be slightly concerning for their fans heading into a clash with the best team in France.

Saint-Etienne have not beaten PSG in the league since November 2012, meanwhile, although they did hold the Paris giants to a 1-1 draw in the corresponding match during the 2017-18 campaign.

Preview: Saint-Etienne vs. PSG - prediction, team news, lineups

PSG rounded off their Champions League group-stage campaign in spectacular fashion on Wednesday night as they recorded a 5-0 win over Galatasaray on home soil. Neymar and Kylian Mbappe were both on the scoresheet for the French champions, who topped the section ahead of Real Madrid.

It will be fascinating to see how the team perform in the latter stages of the Champions League this season as they have struggled to take that next step in recent years.

The European Cup is the competition that the owners really want to win, but PSG's focus for the moment must be on domestic matters as they have league matches in addition to fixtures in both cup competitions over the next few weeks.

Tuchel's side have actually already lost three times in the league this season - the same number as second-placed Marseille - but they top the pile with 39 points from 16 matches, five clear of second spot.

There is no question that the reigning champions will be the favourites to triumph on Sunday night, but they only recorded a narrow 1-0 victory in the corresponding match last season, while as mentioned, Les Parisiens were held to a 1-1 draw in this fixture as recent as April 2018.

Saint-Etienne Ligue 1 competition form: WWDLWL
Saint-Etienne form (all competitions): DDLWLL

Paris Saint-Germain Ligue 1 form: WLWWWW
Paris Saint-Germain form (all competitions): WWDWWW


Team News

Saint-Etienne have a number of injury problems heading into Sunday's clash, with Kevin Monnet-Paquet, Charles Abi, Wahbi Khazri and Miguel Trauco all expected to miss out.

On-loan Arsenal centre-back William Saliba is also struggling with injury, while the same can also be said for former Newcastle United and Crystal Palace midfielder Yohan Cabaye.

Lois Diony is once again expected to lead the line for the home side, while Ryad Boudebouz should also keep his role in an attacking area.

As for PSG, Ander Herrera, Idrissa Gueye and Presnel Kimpembe are all still on the treatment table.

Colin Dagba is also a slight concern with a muscular problem, while fellow right-back Thomas Meunier is battling to recover from the illness that forced him to miss out against Galatasaray.

Key midfielder Marco Verratti is in line to return to the middle of the park having appeared off the bench during the week, though, while experienced centre-back Thiago Silva should also return to the back four.

Further forward, Julian Draxler could be handed a spot in the middle of the park, while Neymar, Mauro Icardi and Mbappe could again line up as the front three.

Saint-Etienne possible starting lineup:
Ruffier; Debuchy, Forfana, Perrin, Silva; Youssouf, M'Vila; Bouanga, Boudebouz, Hamouma; Diony

Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Navas; Kehrer, Silva, Diallo, Bernat; Verratti, Marquinhos, Draxler; Neymar, Icardi, Mbappe


We say: Saint-Etienne 0-2 Paris Saint-Germain

Saint-Etienne will not have had long to prepare for this match following Thursday's clash with Wolfsburg, and although Puel made a host of changes for the European tie, the home side face an even tougher task due to the lack of time between fixtures. As a result, we are struggling to back anything other than an away victory.



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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Paris Saint-GermainPSG21165058203853
2Marseille21134445252043
3Nice21107441261537
4MonacoMonaco2111463728937
5Lille2198434221235
6Lyon2196636261033
7Lens219662520533
8Brest22102103538-332
9StrasbourgStrasbourg218673532330
10Toulouse217682324-127
11Auxerre226793137-625
12Rennes2172122930-123
13Angers2165102231-923
14Reims215792633-722
15NantesNantes214982432-821
16Saint-EtienneSt Etienne2153131945-2618
17Le HavreLe Havre2152141740-2317
18Montpellier HSCMontpellier2143142048-2815
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