Lille vs. PSG: Key Issues and Decisions That Will Shape Ligue 1 Game

Paris Saint-Germain’s 1-0 win over Nice at the Parc des Princes on Saturday was enough to see the Parisians keep pace with Marseille at the top of Ligue 1. Lille on the other hand were dealt another blow to their season as they fell 1-0 away at Bordeaux.

PSG will be confident of extending their run of six wins in a row and should be able to leave the Stade Pierre Mauroy with their unbeaten record intact.

This is a Lille side that are suffering a dramatic fall from grace this season. After finishing third last year, they are now only two points from the relegation zone and have only scored once in their last four league games.

They still have the fifth best defensive record in the league, but losing 1-0 or losing 3-0 makes no difference when you are struggling to pick up points.

Laurent Blanc’s side has failed to dominate some matches this season and have faced problems when teams have been able to bounce back late in games. It’s hard to see where or how Lille can trouble PSG on Wednesday night.

Here are the key issues and decisions that will shape Wednesday’s Ligue 1 game between Lille and PSG.

The Return of Marco Verratti

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Marco Verratti could return for PSG.

There was a time when Lille were one of the only teams in France that could out-pass the Parisian giants. In their prime, Rio Mavuba, Florent Balmont and either Yohan Cabaye or Idrissa Gueye helped the northern side dominate their rivals from down the A1.

Marco Verratti’s arrival in Paris has helped PSG become one of the strongest midfield units in Europe and his return to the pitch on Wednesday could be vital if the away side are to dominate once again.

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#PSG Marco Verratti trained yesterday and could face Lille on Wednesday. He took part in 7 on 7 training. #LOSC

— FFW (@FrenchFtWeekly) December 2, 2014"

The 22-year-old loves to play at the base of PSG's midfield and quite often dictates their tempo. Thiago Motta will do the defensive work and Blaise Matuidi or now PSG’s Cabaye will link the midfield to the attack, but it’s Verratti’s key role that is all-important.

The Italian is still young, so he can sometimes hold onto the ball too long, make the wrong pass or a reckless challenge, but his quality cannot be ignored.

Lille will still try to keep the ball—it’s in their DNA—but with Verratti’s return to the side, the home team will struggle to impose their possession game.

Lille's Defence Needs to Hold Strong

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Kjaer has been a huge part of Lille's defensive success

Last season Lille were the clean sheet kings of Europe. Over the course of the season they kept teams goalless 21 times in Ligue 1.

With Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama imperious behind the impressive duo of Simon Kjaer and Marko Basa, teams found it extremely hard to break down Les Dogues.

This season, all three components are still there, but consistency has been the problem. Both Kjaer and Basa have been injured numerous times, leaving Rene Girard to call upon David Rozehnal to replace both at different times.

Also, the mis-firing Lille attack has brought extra pressure on the back line. Lille’s nine goals in the league is the worst return of any side in the division. Last season’s 1-0 victories have turned into 0-0 draws, and 2-1 wins have changed to 1-0 defeats.

Teams in Ligue 1 are not scared of the Lille attack, so they know they can push forward with more freedom, creating tougher opposition for the Lille rearguard.

If the attackers are not going to score, the only way Lille can look to pick up any points on Wednesday, is to keep a clean sheet.

To start the season they managed six clean sheets in the opening nine games, but they have failed to record a shutout in their last six attempts. It doesn’t look like that will change on Wednesday night.

Zlatan the Tormentor

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Zlatan has 3 goals against Lille so far.

Two seasons ago, when Lille were welcoming fans to the brand new Stade Pierre Mauroy, Zlatan Ibrahimovic turned up in Week 4 of the Ligue 1 season and announced himself to the league.

He had inspired PSG to a comeback 2-2 draw at home to Lorient, scoring twice in the second half, but it took him less than 30 seconds to find the net against Lille.

Maxwell played the ball into Jeremy Menez, the Frenchman cushioned his pass to Ibrahimovic, and the Swede tucked it beyond Mickael Landreau.

The striker would go on to score again as PSG left Lille with a 2-1 victory. He also opened the scoring last season as PSG were held 2-2 by Lille at the Parc des Princes.

In four games, Ibrahimovic has scored three times against one of the best defences in the league. Since his return to the side following a heel injury, the Swede has been slowly finding his match sharpness. Lille will be praying it’s not Wednesday night when the striker finds his top gear.