PSG possible starting lineup for Ligue 1 encounter against Saint-Etienne

PSG will look to get back to winning ways after a shock defeat against Nantes last week as they host Saint-Etienne at the Parc des Princes tonight.

PSG have more or less tanked nearly all of their opponents this season and their 13 point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table is a testament to the same. But they fell to a rather embarrassing defeat at the hands of Nantes last weekend.

Nantes were 3-0 up by half-time. But Neymar pulled one back for PSG shortly after the break but the Brazilian international then squandered a penalty and the opportunity to perhaps claw their way back into the game. That brought PSG's 15-game unbeaten streak in Ligue 1 to an end.

Meanwhile, their Saturday opponents Saint-Etienne are on a resurgent run. New manager Pascal Dupraz has guided them out of the relegation zone and they're currently on a four-game unbeaten streak in the league. So despite their league position, Saint-Etienne could prove to be a real test for PSG.

Without further ado, let's take a look at how PSG could line up against Saint-Etienne on Saturday.

PSG Goalkeeper - Gianluigi Donnarumma

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Keylor Navas started in goal for PSG's 3-1 defeat against Nantes. Now it's time for Gianluigi Donnarumma to come in as Pochettino has alternated between the two consistently.

Right-back - Achraf Hakimi

Thilo Kehrer started ahead of Achraf Hakimi for PSG against Nantes. But it's clear as day now that Hakimi is their best option at right-back. The Moroccan international is expected to start against Saint-Etienne.

Centre-back - Marquinhos

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Marquinhos scored two goals when PSG met Saint-Etienne in the first half of the season. He has not been at his best in recent weeks and Pochettino will hope that his captain can find his feet again and soon.

Centre-back - Presnel Kimpembe

Sergio Ramos is unlikely to even make it for the second leg of Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League Round of 16 tie with Real Madrid. As a result, Presnel Kimpembe will continue to start alongside the experienced Marquinhos at the heart of defence.

Left-back - Nuno Mendes

Nuno Mendes came off the bench in Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 matches against Rennes and Nantes. He was one of PSG's most impressive players against Real Madrid and is expected to be handed a start here.

Central midfielder - Danilo Pereira

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Georginio Wijnaldum had a poor outing against Nantes and is likely to be replaced here. The former Liverpool man has struggled to find his groove at Paris Saint-Germain and his performance last weekend wouldn't have won him any new fans.

Wijnaldum failed to provide anything of note going forward and he conceded a penalty late in first-half stoppage time. Ludovic Blas blasted home from the spot to make it 3-0 for Nantes and it really was the final nail in PSG's coffin on the night.

Danilo Pereira is expected to come in place of Wijnaldum and act as a sweeper in front of his defence. He scored two goals in his last Ligue 1 outing, which came against Lille.

Central midfielder - Idrissa Gueye

Leandro Paredes is nursing an adductor injury and PSG are a bit short on options in midfield for the game against Saint-Etienne. Idrissa Gueye was nowhere near his best in PSG's 3-1 defeat to Nantes. He allowed Quentin Merlin too much space and time on the ball to score his side's second goal of the night.

Gueye, who won AFCON 2021 with Senegal, will want to do better against St. Etiene. He will be deployed alongside Danilo Pereira in the center of the park.

Central midfielder - Julian Draxler

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Marco Verratti is suspended for the game against St. Etienne In his absence, Mauricio Pochettino will not want his midfield to be entirely defensive minded. So instead of picking Ander Herrera, there is a good chance that Pochettino will choose Julian Draxler.

The German international's ball progression abilities will help PSG in their attacking transitions. Draxler was brought on in place of Georginio Wijnaldum in the second half against Nantes. He did carve out one goalscoring opportunity as well but that was about it.

Draxler could do with a start here as he hasn't hit the heights he is capable of in the 2021-22 season.

Right-winger - Lionel Messi

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Lionel Messi might not have hit the ground running at Paris Saint-Germain but he has definitely been one of their best players since the turn of the year. However, the Argentinian international was guilty of missing a couple of very good chances in the game against Nantes.

Messi also looked confident on the ball and his movement and ability to beat defenders did cause a lot of problems for Nantes. The 34-year-old created several chances for his side and also provided the assist for Neymar's goal.

Messi has scored just two goals in Ligue 1 this season and has seemed a little hesitant in getting his shots away of late. He has registered an assist in each of his last four Ligue 1 games and will be one of the first names on the teamsheet here.

Centre-forward - Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe won the game for PSG against Real Madrid in stoppage time because he was able to beat the final man and get his shot away. It took an outrageous piece of skill but the Frenchman is capable of producing moments of magic on a consistent basis.

He caused a lot of problems for Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal and was deservedly rewarded at the end of the night. Mbappe couldn't replicate those heroics against Nantes.

Although his blistering pace and ability to slalom past defenders did make him a threat, he just couldn't affect the game as much as he would have liked to. But with 22 goals and 16 assists to his name in 33 appearances, Mbappe has been PSG's best player this season.

Left-winger - Neymar Jr.

Neymar Jr. scored PSG's only goal of the game against Nantes. But he went from hero to villain in the second half as he missed from the spot after scoring his first goal since returning from a lengthy injury layoff.

He also wasted several goalscoring opportunities and needs to quickly regain his sharpness in the final third.

But there were plenty of positives to take away from Neymar's performance. His link-up play with Messi was a treat to watch and Pochettino will be hoping for more of the same against St. Etienne.

About the author

Shambhu is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda who focuses on previews, listicles and news articles. An ardent Manchester United supporter since before his teenage years, he started following the Red Devils by age 10 watching MUTV on television. Shambhu is also a highly-revered rapper and a playback singer on Spotify, having a whopping 1 million monthly listeners.

For his articles, Shambhu believes in triple-checking every piece of information, relying on trusted websites like Transfermarkt and Opta, and staying away from speculative publications. He believes that his law degree helped him to be more articulate and meticulous with his content and one of his core strengths is seamlessly involving emotion in his write-ups owing to the love for the sport. For Sportskeeda, has done exclusive interviews with Spanish legends Gaizka Mendieta and Fernando Morientes so far, and his articles boast of a huge readership of close to 50 million.

Shambhu's favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and the Argentine attaining glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment. He believes only Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland could replicate Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's rivalry in the years to come. His favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson due to the Scot's unmatched longevity at the top.

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Edited by Shambhu Ajith