Ousmane Dembele was the man in focus last weekend as well as in midweek, with the Ballon d’Or winner’s comments in the aftermath of PSG’s loss to Rennes indicating a slight hint of discontent in the dressing room coming into the clash with FC Metz this weekend.
The attacker was also in the spotlight during midweek as he suffered an injury when the Parisians were trailing 2-0 against Monaco in their Champions League playoff first leg. Desire Doue, the man who replaced Dembele on the pitch, had an immediate impact, scoring with his first few touches of the ball.
Soon enough, PSG found themselves back in the game despite a penalty miss from Vitinha, as Monaco went a man down and the Parisians came out as 3-2 winners in the first leg to take an advantage back to Parc des Princes for the second leg.
Luis Enrique will want another big response from his side as he will look to keep a close distance with leaders RC Lens. The defeat to Rennes last weekend ended their three-game stretch at the top, as Lens hammered Paris FC 5-0 to regain top spot. With the leaders playing early on Saturday, PSG will have one eye on that game, while being focused on winning against Metz, which could either keep them close or allow them to retake top spot once again.
Meanwhile, the talk of football shifts from the top part of the table to the bottom end, where Metz are steadily making themselves the favourites for relegation, as Benoit Tavenot has not managed to find a solution to steer this team away from the danger zone.
The Metz boss has not managed a single win since replacing Stephane Le Mignan at the helm. The basement club have not won a Ligue 1 game since November’s victory over Nice, and none on the road since their win over Nantes.
Metz sit four points off Auxerre for a place in the relegation play-offs ahead of the game against PSG, having lost a division-high 15 games in Ligue 1 this season. More importantly, they have not beaten PSG at the Parc des Princes since 1996, when a certain Robert Pires scored a brace in a 3-2 win.
Luis Enrique does not have too many concerns with squad fitness, although all eyes will be on Ousmane Dembele, who was replaced early on against AS Monaco with a knock. It remains to be seen whether the Ballon d’Or winner returns to the lineup or whether Enrique sides with caution, especially with the second leg against Monaco next week.
Doue, with his brace in midweek, could be the handy replacement that Enrique might prefer, and he could make more changes to his lineup for the weekend. On the injury front, Fabian Ruiz remains sidelined with a knee problem, with the Spaniard expected to miss some more games as things stand.
Quentin Ndjantou is also a big doubt with a hamstring problem, while Senny Mayulu has a calf issue that needs attention, which makes him a doubt for the Metz clash. Enrique could use this game to heavily rotate his pack, with Illia Zabarnyi and Lucas Beraldo likely to pair up at the heart of the defence, while Warren Zaire-Emery and Lucas Hernandez might start in the full-back roles.
January arrival and former Barcelona prospect Dro Fernandez could make his first start for the Parisians in the midfield, with Vitinha likely to be the only one to keep his place. Lee Kang-in will slot on the left side of the setup. In the front line, Enrique might hand Goncalo Ramos a start, while Doue and Bradley Barcola are set to flank the Portuguese striker.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Chevalier; Zaire-Emery, Zabarnyi, Beraldo, Hernandez; Fernandez, Vitinha, Kang-in; Doue, Ramos, Barcola
Metz may not have too many issues, but they, too, are missing some key players, such as veteran defender Benjamin Stambouli, with a rib issue ahead of the clash with PSG. Boubacar Traore has an ankle problem to deal with, while Joseph Mangondo could be out of contention with a knee issue.
On the positive side, Jean-Philippe Gbamin will be eligible following a suspension, but there are doubts whether he will start this one. Metz will stick with their 4-2-31 shape that suits the manager and the kind of squad he has.
Sadibou Sane and Michel Mboula, both of whom scored own goals in the defeat to Auxerre, will start at the back, while Fode Ballo-Toure and Koffi Kouao will play in the full-back roles. Should Traore miss out, then Gauthier Hein could join Believe Munongo in central midfield, while Jessy Deminguet might play in the advanced role.
Georgian pair Giorgi Abuashvili and Giorgi Tsitaishvili will occupy the wide roles, while Habib Diallo will lead the line for FC Metz against PSG at Parc des Princes on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Fischer; Kouao, Sane, Mboula, Ballo-Toure; Munongo, Hein; Abyashvili, Deminguet, Tsitaishvili; Diallo
The young attacker showed what he is all about when replacing star man Ousmane Dembele midway through the first half against AS Monaco. Doue got PSG back into the game instantly, while scoring his second in the game later to give his team the advantage heading into the second leg, and now he will want to do the same in the league.
Doue is growing into an absolute superstar for PSG, with improved performances being put up consistently. The French winger will be key to the team’s performance during the home clash with Metz, and PSG will be eager to keep their distance close with RC Lens.
The visitors come into this clash under tremendous pressure to deliver a positive result, and even a draw would go a long way in helping them in their relegation fight. However, this is probably the toughest away clash for them or anyone in the division, as going to the Parc des Princes is never an easy task.
PSG will be confident they have bounced back from their defeat last weekend to Rennes with a victory over AS Monaco earlier this week. However, there is pressure in Ligue 1, and Luis Enrique has the players to deliver, as even a heavily rotated lineup will get the job done with ease against this Metz side.
