Lille vs. PSG: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
French champions Paris Saint-Germain begin their quest for a fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title with a tricky away test at Lille on Friday night.
Laurent Blanc, on the back of a successful preseason campaign, will be confident that his team can live up to their title as heavy favourites and look to dominate the league campaign from the very first weekend.
Their opponents are much harder to predict than they have been in previous seasons. Lille are now in the hands of Herve Renard, the coach that led both Zambia and Ivory Coast to success in the Africa Cup of Nations.
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Now, the inexperienced club coach has the task of guiding Lille back up the Ligue 1 ladder, but it is not going to be easy. Simon Kjaer, Idrissa Gueye, Adama Traore and Nolan Roux have all left the club this summer, meaning there are a lot of new faces at the Stade Pierre Mauroy.
Club captain Rio Mavuba is still in place, as are Vincent Enyeama, Marko Basa and new signing Renato Civelli. Les Dogues still have a strong and experienced spine, however, their problems are going to come in the final third as the younger players try to adapt and develop in France’s top division.
After the preseason campaign, it looks like Renard is going to favour 4-3-3 this season. Building from a strong midfield base and looking to the creative talent of Eric Bautheac and Sofiane Boufal to create chances for whoever plays through the middle.
Date: Friday, August 7
Kick-Off: 7:30 p.m. BST, 3 p.m. EDT
TV Listings: BT Sport (UK), beIN Sports (USA)
Live Stream: BT Sport (UK)
Form
| Lille OSC | Paris Saint-Germain |
| Friendly: SC Braga 1-1 Lille | TdC: PSG 2-0 Lyon |
| Friendly: Besiktas 0-0 Lille | ICC: Manchester United 0-2 PSG |
| Friendly: Lille 1-0 Troyes | ICC: PSG 1-1 Chelsea (5-6 pens) |
| Friendly: Oostende 0-1 Lille | ICC: PSG 4-2 Fiorentina |
| Friendly: Lokeren 4-1 Lille | ICC: Benfica 2-3 PSG |
Possible Lineups
| Lille OSC | Paris Saint-Germain |
| GK: Vincent Enyeama | GK: Kevin Trapp |
| RB: Sebastien Corchia | RB: Serge Aurier |
| CB: Renato Civelli | CB: Thiago Silva |
| CB: Ibrahim Amadou | CB: David Luiz |
| LB: Djibril Sidibe | LB: Maxwell |
| CM: Rio Mavuba | CM: Marco Verratti |
| CM: Florent Balmont | CM: Benjamin Stambouli |
| CM: Mounir Obbadi | CM: Blaise Matuidi |
| RW: Sofiane Boufal | RW: Lucas Moura |
| LW: Eric Bautheac | LW: Ezequiel Lavezzi |
| CF: Junior Tallo | CF: Edinson Cavani |
Players to Watch
Lille: Sofiane Boufal
When Lille were destroyed 6-1 at the Parc des Princes last season, the one shimmer of light for the away side was the display of their talented Moroccan playmaker.
At one point in the game, with a number of PSG defenders around him, Boufal danced, juked and evaded his way around them all. The home crowd were stunned with his quick feet and ability to turn in tight spaces and he was the one reason for hope in Lille’s season.
Now, with Rony Lopes back with Manchester City and Divock Origi’s loan deal over, Boufal is the great hope for the Lille fans. If Renard’s team are to find success this season, it will be down to the chances Boufal creates.
PSG: Edinson Cavani
The start to PSG’s season has been hindered a little with the news of Ibrahimovic’s injury, but that should give Uruguayan striker, Edinson Cavani, extra impotence to begin the season with a bang.
El Matador has a good record at the Stade Pierre Mauroy, in fact he opened the scoring when the two sides last met in the Coupe de la Ligue semi-finals last season.
After playing in the Copa America this summer and the imminent signing of Angel Di Maria, Cavani will be keen to make a huge impression playing through the centre to start the season. He will likely play most of the season on the right-wing, so he needs to grab this opportunity with both hands.
Key Battle
Eric Bautheac v Serge Aurier
Last season, Aurier’s time in the PSG first team was a little stop-start, but after an impressive preseason, he looks set to become a more regular fixture in Blanc’s starting XI.
Although he can play at both centre-back and right-back, it is at right-back where he is more comfortable, and where he should make an impact at the club. On Friday, he will come up against the talents of new signing Bautheac.
Joining from Nice, the 27-year-old will play on the left of Lille’s attack and Renard will hope he can become the spark that kicks off the attacks down that side. He is able to pick a pass and whip in dangerous passes with his left-foot.
Bautheac is a very precise and elegant player and will ask questions of Aurier down PSG’s right.
Lille 19/4
Draw 13/5
PSG 4/5
Prediction
Lille 1-2 Paris Saint-Germain
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