Thomas Tuchel’s starting lineup to face Girondins de Bordeaux at the Parc des Princes on Sunday makes no sense to me.
Le 1⃣1⃣ de départ 🆚 @girondins ! 👊 #PSGFCGB
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— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) February 23, 2020
The two biggest surprises in the lineup are Edinson Cavani starting upfront with Kylian Mbappé and Sergio Rico in goal while Keylor Navas is relegated to the bench.
The Cavani choice is an interesting one and perhaps gives some merit to the report that Mauro Icardi was apparently furious over not starting against Borussia Dortmund last Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League.
Navas being not starting makes zero sense. Sure, he’s allowed seven goals in PSG’s last three games but Tuchel should be giving him plenty of opportunities to build up his confidence ahead of the return leg against Dortmund where he will absolutely be the starter.
Thilo Kehrer starts at right-back with Thomas Meunier sick and Colin Dagba injured. He will likely be the starter against Dortmund so it’s important that he stays healthy and performs well over the next few games.
In midfield, Marquinhos lines up next to Marco Verratti, who is one of the best midfielders in the world but also suspended for the match against Dortmund. You would think Tuchel would want to give minutes to Idrissa Gueye or Leandro Paredes to get them in rhythm since they’ll be the likely starters against Dortmund, but nope, apparently preserving a 10-point lead in Ligue 1 is more important.
Juan Bernat returns from his calf injury to start at left-back with Presnel Kimpembe and Thiago Silva rounding out the rest of the backline with Kehrer.
Neymar Jr. starts on the left side of the attack opposite Angel Di Maria and combined with Mbappé and Cavani, we should see plenty of goals tonight.
If you take out the context of the upcoming Dortmund match, this lineup is fine. However, considering all that needs to be sorted before then, I feel like Tuchel missed an opportunity tonight with his line choices.
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