Bastia vs. PSG: Key Issues and Decisions That Will Shape Ligue 1 Game
Paris Saint-Germain got 2015 underway on the right note, beating Montpellier HSC 3-0 away in the Coupe de France round of 64.
On Saturday, they travel to Corsica, where they will take on second-from-bottom Ligue 1 outfit SC Bastia at Stade Armand Cesari—known more commonly as Furiani—in a bid to bridge the three-point gap on league leaders Olympique de Marseille.
The French champions have kept two competitive clean sheets in a row and will be hoping to make that three against the most anaemic attack in Le Championnat. However, a win for the hosts could lift I Turchini out of the bottom three for the first time since November.
For the game, Laurent Blanc will be missing a number of first team players.
Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani are once again suspended as part of internal sanctions, while Italian goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu and midfielder Thiago Motta are injured, as revealed by PSG.fr (in French). Serge Aurier is on Africa Cup of Nations duty with the Ivory Coast.
Ghislain Printant’s men have the odds stacked against them, but they will be buoyed by their 2-0 home win over Lille OSC in the Coupe de France last weekend. PSG, on the other hand, are under pressure to quickly rein in Marseille and Olympique Lyonnais from third place.
Here are some key issues and decisions that will shape Saturday’s Ligue 1 game.
Can PSG Maintain Newfound Sense of Character?
1 of 4
The 3-0 Coupe de France win away at Montpellier demonstrated a new sense of character and determination from PSG.
Coach Laurent Blanc selected the perfect starting XI to combat the appalling pitch at Altrad Stadium, and the players’ desire to win the match and progress to the next round was clear in their committed performances.
Although the game was by no means a classic, it was refreshing to see Les Parisiens taking domestic duties seriously for once.
If Le President can get his players to emulate that same mentality in Corsica, the French champions should have no problem seeing off Bastia.
New Year, New Start for Bastia?
2 of 4
The first half of this season has been extremely difficult for Bastia, but the new year has brought the struggling islanders a chance to wipe the slate clean.
A 2-0 Coupe de France win over Lille was just the start Printant’s men needed to the second half of the campaign, and his players will be buoyed by that victory going into the PSG clash.
Beating the French champions might be a bit of a stretch for a team who have major problems scoring goals, but even a point would be a big source of encouragement.
Most important, at this time, is the performance. If Bastia can put in a good showing, then they will believe that they can pick up points in the coming weeks to move out of the bottom three.
Does Blanc Change Winning Formula?
3 of 4
Blanc picked his starting XI and substitutions perfectly in the 3-0 Coupe de France win in Montpellier on Monday and could be tempted to stick with a similar side against Bastia.
The team he went with at Altrad Stadium was designed to combat the dreadful pitch condition there, but those same players could have done even better had they not been scrapping for most of the game.
It was a convincing performance from PSG, and Blanc could be tempted to stick with his winning formula with a number of players—including regular goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu—absent through either internal suspension or injury.
Where Are Bastia’s Goals Going to Come From?
4 of 4
The biggest problem for Bastia this season has been scoring goals.
Defensively, the Corsicans are actually one of the better sides in Ligue 1, boasting the ninth-strongest back line. However, along with Lille, Printant’s men have the joint-worst attack and have scored just 16 times this term.
Bastia cannot expect to beat PSG with such a toothless front line. They need to concentrate on frustrating the capital club and try to nick a goal in the process—possibly through a set piece.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
