Paris Saint-Germain predicted lineup vs Auxerre - Ligue 1
League-leading Paris Saint-Germain welcome promoted Auxerre to the Parc des Princes in Ligue 1 on Sunday lunchtime.
PSG have a formidable home record without any caveats but have been particularly imperious against freshly promoted foes. Les Parisiens haven't lost at home to a side that spent the previous year in Ligue 2 since Montpellier emerged from the capital with a 3-1 win back in 2010. Claude Makelele was in PSG's midfield that day.
Here's the XI Christophe Galtier may deploy in a bid to avoid that distant failing.
Paris Saint-Germain predicted lineup (3-4-1-2)
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma - PSG's custodian has been forced into more saves than he perhaps expected this season (41) but isn't sentimental about his shot-stopping. "My favourite save is always the next one," he insisted.
CB: Sergio Ramos - This will be the first World Cup since 2002 to be conducted without Spain's record cap holder.
CB: Marquinhos - PSG's skipper admits that he views Ramos as an "inspiration", particularly "the desire, the rage he has on the field". Although, presumably not all of Ramos' infamous rage.
CB: Danilo Pereira - The Guinea Bissau-born Portugal international has played football in Italy, Greece, the Netherlands and now France.
RWB: Achraf Hakimi - When Real Madrid invited the seven-year-old to join their youth team with a letter in the post, Hakimi couldn't believe it, literally. "I honestly thought that it was a lie and that my father was pulling my leg," he remembered.
CM: Vitinha - The Portuguese midfielder hasn't lost a league match at his club's home ground since making a cameo appearance for Wolves in a 4-0 loss to Burnley in April 2021.
CM: Marco Verratti - One of the few PSG players not on their way to Qatar, Verratti will have a month to mull over Italy's World Cup qualification failure.
LWB: Nuno Mendes - The former Sporting CP defender has scored more goals this season (two) than he had in his entire senior career (one).
AM: Neymar - According to Galtier, this is "the best Neymar we have ever seen at PSG".
ST: Lionel Messi - The French sports daily L’Équipe awarded Messi four or below in their match ratings on ten occasions in Ligue 1 last season. There has been little cause for such scores given his electric form this term.
ST: Kylian Mbappe - The French starlet considers basketball icon LeBron James as a role model and sounding board for business interests off the pitch.