Official Lineup: Surprise Start For Draxler Against Lyon

After reports that Paris Saint-Germain’s match against Olympique Lyonnais at the Parc des Princes could be canceled due to weather, we received confirmation that the game would go on and now we know who is in the starting lineup.

PSG manager Thomas Tuchel opted for a very similar XI that started against FC Nantes last Tuesday with one key difference.

Starting on the left side of the attack is Julian Draxler who makes his ninth Ligue 1 appearance this season.

The German’s inclusion is somewhat of a surprise considering the recent form of Pablo Sarabia who is relegated to the bench.

Lining up next to Draxler in PSG’s attack is Mauro Icardi, Kylian Mbappé, and Angel Di Maria. Neymar Jr. is being held out to continue recovering from his rib injury.

In the midfield, Marco Verratti and Idrissa Gueye pair up once again. Ander Herrera is on the bench and I wouldn’t mind seeing the Spaniard come on at some point considering the number of minutes Gueye has played in 2020 so far.

On defense, Tuchel doesn’t have a lot of options due to the injuries to Juan Bernat, Colin Dagba, Abdou Diallo, Marquinhos, and Thiago Silva. Their absence forced Tuchel to once again go with Layvin Kurzawa, Presnel Kimpembe, Thilo Kehrer, and Thomas Meunier. Right behind them is Keylor Navas who is coming off a Man of the Match-worthy performances against Nantes.

Depending on how the match goes, I would like to see Edinson Cavani, Herrera, and Tanguy Kouassi come off the bench at some point to get some minutes against a talented opponent. It’s especially important for Cavani due to the fact he hasn’t played in over a month after his transfer to Atlético Madrid didn’t go through.

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Tags Abdou Diallo Ander Herrera Angel Di Maria Colin Dagba Edinson Cavani Idrissa Gueye Juan Bernat Julian Draxler Kylian Mbappé Layvin Kurzawa Ligue 1 Marco Verratti Marquinhos Mauro Icardi Neymar Olympique Lyonnais Pablo Sarabia Presnel Kimpembe Tanguy Kouassi Thiago Silva Thomas Meunier Thomas Tuchel
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