Just when you think Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel will go conservative and be predictable with his starting lineup, he goes out and surprises you.
Le onze de départ 🆚 @DFCO_Officiel ! 👊#PSGDFCO
🔴🔵 #ICICESTPARIS pic.twitter.com/FuSNehhMug
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) February 29, 2020
In my lineup prediction, I thought Tuchel would go with Mauro Icardi as his striker, Marquinhos in the midfield, and Abdou Diallo on defense. Now that the lineup has been released, we get a glimpse as to what Tuchel might be thinking with the rematch against Borussia Dortmund coming up on March 11.
Kylian Mbappé leads the attack with Edinson Cavani. El Matador recently scored his 200th goal for PSG and has been in better form than Icardi lately. Neither player featured against Dortmund in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League tie but right now, it looks like Cavani is the preferred striker.
As expected, Angel Di Maria and Pablo Sarabia start on the wings with Neymar Jr. suspended for the match.
In midfield, Tanguy Kouassi partners with Idrissa Gueye. This isn’t a typical midfield partnership for PSG but it’s one that we could likely see against Dortmund with Marco Verratti (suspended) and Ander Herrera (injured) out for that match.
On defense, Marquinhos drops back to his natural center-back role with Presnel Kimpembe. Juan Bernat starts at left-back and Thilo Kehrer starts at right-back. Again, with the Dortmund match coming up on March 11 in mind, this will likely be the backline for that match with Thiago Silva (injured) and Thomas Meunier (suspended) both unavailable.
Today’s match against Dijon is vital for Kouassi, who has yet to sign a professional contract for PSG. A stellar performance could lead to a start against Dortmund, which would be a monumental achievement for a 17-year-old.
Update: According to Tuchel prior to kickoff, Marquinhos will play in the midfield and Kouassi will play on defense.
Tuchel sur @canalplus : "Je travaille avec Marquinhos au milieu, pour aujourd'hui. Et on verra pour Dortmund. J'ai confiance en Tanguy, on a 3 matches pour essayer des choses" #PSGDFCO
— CulturePSG (@CulturePSG) February 29, 2020
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