"All coaches are in the same position.” proclaimed Paris Saint-Germain manager Laurent Blanc following a routine 2-0 victory over lowly Bastia on Friday night, alluding to the substantial amount of fixtures his side are scheduled to encounter.
Lyon are next on the agenda for a PSG team that are set to partake in six matches in just 20 days. The hosts, who are yet to lose a domestic encounter since a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Bordeaux last March, are undoubtedly favourites to retain their Coupe de la Ligue crown but Les Gones appear the most likely to dethrone their Parisian counterparts.
Lyon prosper under Genesio thus far
The visitors have endured a disheartening campaign thus far, unable to recreate the form that saw the club run Wednesday’s opposition agonisingly close to the title last season. Despite signing a plethora of promising prospects on long-term deals during the summer, the French giants’ start to the season was underwhelming and a run of six league matches without a win, coupled alongside disastrous Champions League performances, finally saw Hubert Fournier relieved of his position as manager.
Olympique Lyonnais have enjoyed a more prosperous beginning to life under Bruno Genesio, dispatching Limoges 7-0 in the Coupe de France before overcoming basement club Troyes in front of 55,000 at the all-new Parc de l'Olympique Lyonnais. Fabien Camus, Rachid Ghezzal and Jordan Ferri helped christen Parc OL with three sensational goals after Alexandre Lacazette got the scoring underway just eight minutes into proceedings. Claudio Beauvue netted his first in two months to seal an emphatic win, further enhanced by the returning Samuel Umtiti.
Genesio is expected to rotate his players for this cup clash with the crucial Rhone derby taking place on Sunday evening. Just five of those who started against Troyes were selected to start against Ligue 2’s Tours in the Roud of 16 and such heavy rotation is expected once again despite the recent winter break.
Mathieu Valbuena took part in training on Tuesday, albeit individually, and will return to the rest of the group later this week. Former Manchester United right-back Rafael has also been ruled out after Genesio said the Brazilian will come back on Monday. Maxime Gonalons will be absent for the PSG meeiting alongside the Saint-Etienne match. With Beauvue’s future at Lyon unclear, despite only transferring from Guingamp this summer, Maxwel Cornet could earn just his fifth start of the campaign up front.
Winners of this tournament in 2001, with new coach Claudio Cacapa on the scoresheet, OL possess a large squad that Genesio is seemingly content with. Prior to last weekend’s Ligue 1 fixture, the ex-midfielder proclaimed that “he has no intention of getting rid of players” when asked if he possessed too large a squad. The 49-year-old continued by stating that he would rather “keep everyone motivated despite the fact that there are choices to be made when it comes time to write the teamsheet.” The Frenchman ended by convincingly saying that he already had a starting XI in mind for the trip to Paris.
Improved solidarity key to Paris Saint-Germain success
Paris Saint-Germain hold a similarly talented crop of playing staff but one that far surpasses Lyon’s, and every other club in France, in terms of quality.
This is emphasised by the Parisians’ points tally in both domestic and European competition, sitting 20 points clear of second-placed Angers at the summit of Ligue 1 while comfortably qualifying for the Champions League’s last 16.
Those at Qatar Investment Authority, owners of the capital club, spent an abundance on transfer fees during the summer to improve an already outstanding team. While Angel Di Maria has rightly obtained much of the attention since his £45m move from Manchester United, being involved in 10 goals in his last seven Ligue 1 games, it is Les Rouge-et-Bleu’s improved solidarity that will likely see the northern outfit triumph in a variety of competitions.
Slip-ups against the likes of Bordeaux, Caen and Bastia last term, throwing away a two-goal lead against the latter two, showcased their complacency in the league despite pressure from Lyon. Les Parisiens did, however, recover from their slow start to ultimately win France’s top division and have significantly improved in defence since the summer.
The performances of the superb Thiago Silva, who was included in the FIFPro World XI this month, has been a highlight for the Parc de Princes faithful this season as the captain has led his side to 18 clean sheets in just 27 appearances in all competitions.
His countryman, David Luiz, has also attained a lean defensive record when the ex-Chelsea man has been fit and is subsequently keeping the talented Marquinhos out of the side.
The experience of the consistent Maxwell and Gregory van der Wiel coupled alongside new signings Layvin Kurzawa and Serge Aurier, in addition to a largely intelligent midfield in front of them, have made a once-naive PSG impossible to beat.
Strong squad expected from Laurent Blanc
Although rotation is inevitable from Laurent Blanc as his men continue to fight on all four fronts, a strong starting XI is still expected to be revealed before kick-off. The 50-year-old manager said that their substantial lead offers him the possibility to rotate, proclaiming these fixtures are a “good opportunity for those who play a little less.”
The ex-Barcelona star recognised the importance of rotation, stating that “to rotate your roster, you have to have everyone available” before saying that this will be “the most important thing over the second half of the season”
Rumours of Salvatore Sirigu’s departure has been ever-present since the arrival of Kevin Trapp but, after yet another blunder from the German goalkeeper, PSG are reflecting on his potential exit and Blanc confirmed Sirigu in his pre-match press conference would start in the Coupe de la Ligue yet again.
Thiago Silva sustained an injury against Bastia but, per L’Equipe, will not be absent for long. The centre-back is not entirely ruled out of this tie but is not assured to start. It could be a strong opportunity for Blanc to give Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe a chance at the back.
Rabiot wants to win every game
Adrien Rabiot looked ahead to this quarter-final encounter 48 hours before kick-off. Paris Saint-Germain showed the two domestic cup competitions a large amount of respect, going on to win the treble after defeating Bastia and Auxerre in the finals of the Coupe de la Ligue and the Coupe de France. The champions, state Rabiot, consider that “every match is important” and that they “need to win every match, like last season.”
The youngster’s comments seemed incredibly refreshing, with the midfielder stating that his team-mates “need to give every match everything we [PSG] have, just like in Ligue 1 or the Champions League” before proclaiming that “everyone wants to win every competition”.
“I heard that perhaps Lyon will send a 'B' team for the game because they have an important match against Saint-Etienne four days later,” the former Toulouse man continued. “It doesn't matter who is on the pitch, the important thing is to win."
Recent meetings gives indication
This duo have met 16 times since the turn of the decade, with PSG triumphing on exactly half of these occasions and are now five unbeaten against their rivals. The giants have met one another in the Coupe de la Ligue twice in the last six years, with Paris again securing victory both times. The meeting in 2010 was decided courtesy of a Lyon-born Ludovic Giuly strike in extra-time while an Edinson Cavani assured that PSG would advance at Lyon’s expense.
It will be incredibly difficult for Lyon to ensure they are involved in the semi-final draw, potentially alongside the likes of Marseille and Lille. With Paris Saint-Germain travelling to relegation-threatened Toulouse and Lyon facing local rivals Saint-Etienne this weekend, a strong home team should be able to dispatch of a weakened Lyon.
Prediction: Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Lyon
