Bordeaux vs. PSG: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
The rest of Ligue 1 may have played their penultimate league fixture on Saturday, but Bordeaux and Paris Saint-Germain are playing catch-up and meet at the Stade Matmut-Atlantique on Wednesday night to play their rearranged fixture from Week 35.
Neither team has anything of great importance to play for in terms of the league, Bordeaux could move from 11th to eighth with a victory, leapfrogging SM Caen, and Ulrich Rame’s team go into the game in great form, winning two straight Ligue 1 games for the first time since January.
It has been a disappointing season all round for Bordeaux. Willy Sagnol was supposed to be the coach to take Les Girondins to the next level, but despite a bright start in 2014, they have seemingly gone backwards.
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Finishing in the bottom half of the table would signify their downturn over the last two seasons—and why Sagnol was relieved of his coaching duties in March.
PSG are champions of France and with the 4-0 win over Gazelec Ajaccio on Saturday, they set a new Ligue 1 points record—beating their own—and now they are gearing up for the end of the season and the Coupe de France final against Olympique de Marseille.
Date: Wednesday, May 11
Time: 7:30 p.m. BST (2:30 p.m ET)
Venue: Stade Matmut-Atlantique, Bordeaux
TV Info: BT Sport (UK), beIN Sport (US)
Live Stream: beIN Sport Connect (US)
Last Five Results:
| Bordeaux | Paris Saint-Germain |
| W Bordeaux 3-0 Lorient (Ligue 1) | W Gazelec 0-4 PSG (Ligue 1) |
| W Troyes 2-4 Bordeaux (Ligue 1) | W PSG 4-0 Rennes (Ligue 1) |
| L Bordeaux 1-3 Angers (Ligue 1) | W PSG 2-1 Lille (Coupe de la Ligue) |
| D Marseille 0-0 Bordeaux (Ligue 1) | W Lorient 0-1 PSG (Coupe de France) |
| W Monaco 1-2 Bordeaux (Ligue 1) | W PSG 6-0 Caen (Ligue 1) |
Team News
Javier Pastore is the biggest injury doubt for PSG, suggests Wednesday's edition of L'Equipe. The Argentinian midfielder is still struggling with both ankle and thigh knocks.
Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi will continue to miss out, which should give 18-year-old midfielder Christopher Nkunku another chance to impress.
PSG (4-3-3): Kevin Trapp; Serge Aurier, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Maxwell; Christopher Nkunku, Adrien Rabiot, Benjamin Stambouli; Angel Di Maria, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani.
Ulrich Rame suggested in his pre-match press conference that he would make changes from Saturday’s team that beat Lorient, but he insisted that he wanted his team to continue to attack—not the easiest thing to do against the champions.
The back four from the weekend’s win will likely stay the same, but Cedric Yambere will come in just in front to add a greater level of protection. This should see Valentin Vada drop out and both Clement Chantome and Jaroslav Plasil keep their place in a three- or five-man midfield.
Brazilian Malcom scored his first Ligue 1 goal on Saturday, but he could drop out to make way for the changes.
Adam Ounas played 45 minutes, so he could be in line to play from the beginning. Cheick Diabate comes off a great two-goal performance, and he will continue to lead the line.
Rame will then have to decide whether to play 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, with the latter giving more midfield protection.
Bordeaux (4-2-3-1): Jerome Prior; Mathieu Debuchy, Frederic Guilbert, Nicolas Pallois, Diego Contento; Cedric Yambere, Andre Biyogo Poko; Clement Chantome, Adam Ounas, Jaroslav Plasil; Cheick Diabate.
Player to Watch
He didn’t start in Bordeaux’s 3-0 win on Saturday, so with changes expected, Ounas is likely to be in the Bordeaux attack.
The teenager is a versatile attacker, able to ply his trade across any of the forward positions. Once Wahbi Khazri was sold to Sunderland, he has featured more as a No. 10, however, even on the wing, he loves nothing more than cutting inside to create opportunities.
Blessed with pace and a high level of dribbling quality, he has the skill set of a tricky opponent, even against the might of Paris Saint-Germain. This is a great chance for the 19-year-old to make a huge mark and show just what he can do against the best team in France.
In 14 league starts this campaign, Ounas has scored five times and added two assists—not a bad return for his first season.
Key Battle
With Verratti, Matuidi and Thiago Motta all likely to miss the game, plus the doubt over Pastore, regardless of the ability of the replacements, for Bordeaux to have any chance of success they need to win the midfield battle.
The aforementioned trio, when all fit, are one of the best three-man units in France. Adrien Rabiot has been excellent and Nkunku looks a fantastic prospect, but Les Girondins will want to take the game to this second-string trident.
Chantome has all the experience of playing with PSG in the past and will want to put in a performance against his old club. Yambere is an intimidating presence and his battling and defensive instincts will provide the protection.
No matter who Rame picks to play through the middle, they need to be at their best and up for the fight.
This is a battle they could and need to win if they are to have any chance of picking up three points on Wednesday.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Home 317/50
Draw 327/100
Away 50/111
