It has been a bumpy road for Paris Saint-Germain, but the club has reached its final UEFA Champions League group stage fixture of the season. The club is set to face Istanbul Basaksehir in a fixture where a win for Thomas Tuchel’s side will clinch the team Champions League Group H. A win or draw for PSG will give the club a spot in the knockout stage. More so, a loss in this fixture will put the club in danger of missing out on the knockout stage altogether.
With the stakes high, here is how Tuchel is setting up his side against Basaksehir.
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Keylor Navas will be starting for PSG out at goalkeeper. Navas is well known for putting together quality performances in key Champions League fixtures.
Presnel Kimpembe and Marquinhos each return to PSG’s starting 11. They did not feature in the team’s last fixture against Montpellier. The two have emerged as one of the top center-back duos in the competition this season. More so, PSG is setting up for another wing-back setup, which puts Mitchel Bakker and Alessandro Florenzi as the wide players.
Tuchel has a variety of options to go to for his midfield setup. Numerous players have provided for superb showings as of late and made their case to Tuchel as to why they deserve to be starting in key fixtures such as this contest. But Tuchel is rolling with a midfield trio consisting of Leandro Paredes, Marco Verratti and Rafinha. For Rafinha, this is another key opportunity for him to prove on why he deserves to be a regular starter for the team.
Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are starting and positioned upfront to lead PSG’s attack. For the latter, this game will be his final chance to score a Champions League goal in the calendar year.
As touched upon, a win for PSG in this game and the club will clinch its Champions League group for the fourth straight season.
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