Without Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia, PSG face a Lyon side with no striker
Both teams have lost key attackers in the past week. PSG beat Barcelona 4-2 last Tuesday but lost Ousmane Dembélé (thigh), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (cruciate ligament, likely out for the season) and Marquinhos (thigh) in the same game. Lyon then lost Pavel Šulc to a meniscus injury, and with Loïs Openda also out, Paulo Fonseca has no recognised number nine. The game was moved from Sunday at the request of the Paris police. Both sides have 14 points and a game in hand on leaders Rennes, and Luis Enrique has said a win would put PSG top.
„Le PSG est la meilleure équipe du monde en ce moment.“ („PSG are the best team in the world right now.“) – Paulo Fonseca
Predicted lineups: PSG vs Lyon
Nuno Mendes is also missing for PSG, so Lucas Digne is expected at left-back, with Zabarnyi and Pacho in the middle. Ferran Torres should lead the line between Akliouche and Doué. Luis Enrique was asked about Doué’s role and said only: „Il doit faire ce qu’il fait“ („He has to do what he does“). For Lyon, French previews expect Adam Merah to play as a makeshift centre-forward. Kango was stretchered off in Hoffenheim, Tagliafico and Mohamed Ouédraogo are injured, Keito Nakamura is not in the predicted XI after his red card against Nice, and captain Tolisso has an adductor problem but is expected to start.
PSG Team News & Preview
Seven straight wins in all competitions, including 4-2 at Manchester City and 4-2 against Barcelona, show how good this PSG side is in big games. Luis Enrique played down the injuries – „Il y a 2-3 joueurs blessés mais c’est la compétition et le haut niveau“ („There are two or three injured players, but that’s competition at the top level“) – and he has no plans to sign anyone. Without Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia, though, the attack loses a lot of pace and invention, and Ferran Torres, their top league scorer with four goals, becomes even more important.
The schedule matters too. PSG go to Le Havre on Friday and Villarreal in the Champions League next Tuesday, so tonight is the first of three games in eight days. Their home league record is unusual: they have played only two games at the Parc in Ligue 1 and lost one of them, 2-1 to Monaco.
What works for or against PSG
- Seven straight wins in all competitions.
- Six days of rest, compared with Lyon's four.
- Without Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia, Marquinhos and Nuno Mendes.
- Only one clean sheet in seven league games.
Lyon Team News & Preview
Fonseca’s biggest problem is the number nine. Openda has a cracked fibula, Šulc is out for about four months, and the coach admitted Lyon may have to sign a striker in the winter. Merah, Tolisso or Nartey can fill in, but none of them is a natural centre-forward, and Lyon managed only 0.87 expected goals in Hoffenheim on Thursday.
That 3-0 defeat came with a heavily rotated side, so several of tonight’s starters should be fresh. In Ligue 1 the defence has been excellent: five goals conceded in seven games, the fewest in the league, and two clean sheets in three away games. Fonseca knows what is needed: „Nous devons être parfait défensivement et offensivement“ („We have to be perfect in defence and in attack“).
What works for or against Lyon
- Best defence in Ligue 1, with five goals conceded in seven games.
- Several regulars were rested in Hoffenheim.
- No fit recognised centre-forward after Šulc's injury.
- Only four days of rest after a trip to Germany.
PSG vs Lyon Odds
Match Result
Double Chance
Handicap
Over/Under
Both Teams to Score
Half-Time/Full-Time
PSG vs. Lyon Stats Comparison
Show Recent Results
PSG vs. Lyon Form Guide
PSG Form, Stats & Data
PSG create 2.71 expected goals per game but score only 2.00, a gap that will not get easier to close without Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia. Vitinha is still the player everything runs through, and with 68% possession PSG should control the ball. What stands out at the back is one clean sheet in seven games, so Lyon will get chances.
Lyon Form, Stats & Data
Lyon have conceded 0.71 goals per game, well below their 1.24 expected goals against, which suggests the defence has been good and goalkeeper Greif has helped too. The attacking figures are less useful tonight: Šulc, who had three assists and scored against Nice and Palace, is out along with Openda, so Nuamah now carries most of the threat from the left.
PSG vs Lyon: Prediction & Betting Tip
I expect PSG to win but not to run riot. Lyon have the best defence in the league and are playing without a real striker, so they will struggle to keep up in a high-scoring game. PSG, missing their two most dangerous wide forwards, have good reason not to chase a fourth or fifth goal with Le Havre on Friday and Villarreal on Tuesday. Over 2.5 goals at 1.35 tells me little, while a PSG win with fewer than four goals fits the way I see this game going.
The risk is clear. Four of PSG’s seven league games have had four goals, and with one clean sheet all season they could easily concede once and still need a third to settle it, so a 3-1 would lose. I still think Lyon’s lack of a centre-forward and their defensive record point to a more controlled game. I am backing PSG to win & Under 3.5 Goals at 2.62 with Winz and expect a 2-0.