Bastia vs. PSG: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Paris Saint-Germain resume their hunt for a fourth consectutive Ligue 1 title on Saturday afternoon as they take on SC Bastia on the island of Corsica.
Last season, this was the fixture that gave the Parisians the kick they needed to find form and consistency to win the title race against Lyon and Marseille.
After going 2-0 up in the first half, the home side bounced back and stunned Laurent Blanc’s side with four unanswered goals—including this stunner from former Paris FC defender Julian Palmieri.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
PSG did extract some level of revenge with a 4-0 win in the Coupe de la Ligue final at the Stade de France, but the league leaders will be hoping to return to Corsica and exorcise those league demons.
The fixture could also see Brazilian striker Brandao face PSG for the first-time since he head-butted Thiago Motta after his team were beaten 2-0 at the Parc des Princes in August 2014—giving the fixture another level of intrigue.
Nine games into the season, PSG are in great form. Still unbeaten, they will be looking to make it five wins-in-a-row on Saturday—to do that, they will have to beat a stubborn home defence, led by Jean-Louis Leca, the Bastia goalkeeper who has been in great form this season.
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2015
Time: 4:30 p.m. BST (11:30 a.m. ET)
Venue: Stade Armand Cesari, Bastia
TV Info: Canal Plus (France), beIN Sports (U.S.)
Live Stream: beIN Sport Connect (U.S.)
Form Lines
| SC Bastia | Paris Saint-Germain |
| Angers 1-0 Bastia (Ligue 1) | PSG 2-1 Marseille (Ligue 1) |
| Bastia 3-0 Toulouse (Ligue 1) | Shakhtar 0-3 PSG (Champions League) |
| Lyon 2-0 Bastia (Ligue 1) | Nantes 1-4 PSG (Ligue 1) |
| Bastia 1-3 Nice (Ligue 1) | PSG 3-0 Guingamp (Ligue 1) |
| Marseille 4-1 Bastia (Ligue 1) | Stade de Reims 1-1 PSG (Ligue 1) |
Predicted Formations
Bastia (4-2-3-1): Jean-Louis Leca; Mathieu Peybernes, Sebastien Squillaci, Fernando Modesto, Julian Palmieri; Seko Fofana, Yannick Cahuzac; Floyd Ayite, Mehdi Mostefa, Gael Danic; Brandao
PSG (4-3-3): Salvatore Sirigu; Gregory van der Wiel, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Layvin Kurzawa; Thiago Motta, Benjamin Stambouli, Blaise Matuidi; Lucas, Angel Di Maria, Zlatan Ibrahimovic
During the pregame press conference, Blanc was concerned about the fitness of some of his international players due to the time difference, but he wanted to go to Bastia with a strong team after losing this fixture last season.
He confirmed that Salvatore Sirigu would start due to Kevin Trapp's injury and talked about how important Serge Aurier has been to the side this season—expect the Ivorian to start.
With injuries to both David Luiz and Presnel Kimpembe (article in French), Blanc has no choice but to play Thiago Silva and Marquinhos. There is a chance that either Blaise Matuidi and Marco Verratti will be rested; both would be a surprise.
Bastia manager Ghislain Printant is without both Francois Kamano and Florian Marange through suspension (in French), and Christopher Maboulou and Alexander Djiku miss the game as they are injured.
Player to Watch
The first aim for Printant’s side will be to try to stop the star-studded PSG attack, and to do that, they will need a stunning performance from veteran defender Sebastien Squillaci.
Much maligned during his time at Arsenal, the French defender has found the perfect home at Bastia and has excelled ever since he made the move in 2013.
According to WhoScored.com—no one makes more clearances in the Bastia squad than Squillaci. At 35 years young, the former Monaco man has become a leader in this squad, and if he plays well and is on his game, the battle with the PSG attack could be very intriguing.
Key Battle
Saturday’s team selection by Blanc will be made with PSG’s Champions League fixture with Real Madrid in mind. Undoubtedly, the Parisians will want to name their strongest midfield, therefore giving the Islanders a chance to take advantage.
Whoever is named will have to deal with the talents of Yannick Cahuzac and Seko Fofana. The former is a local star, grandson of the famous player and coach Pierre Cahuzac, and Corsican to the core.
This is the type of game that will get the best out of the battling central midfielder, and beside Fofana, he has the perfect partner. On loan from Manchester City, the 20-year-old is enjoying a bright season.
The French-born midfielder has a similar style to that of Blaise Matuidi. He fights for everything, shows great energy and is adept at winning the ball to start counter-attacks.
If PSG are off their game, this defensive-midfield duo could cause a lot of problems.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Home win: 81-10
Away win: 25-61
Draw: 63-20
