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League leading Paris Saint-Germain host Strasbourg in the club’s first competitive outing since the World Cup.
Conveniently for a team owned by Qatar Sports Investment, PSG’s players scored more World Cup goals than any other club in the world. Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi alone combined for 15 – more than 30 nations in the competition.
Here’s the XI Christophe Galtier may deploy in a bid to bring some of those goals to Ligue 1.
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma – Italy’s European Championship winner is one of the few PSG players that had their winter uninterrupted by a trip to the desert.
RB: Nordi Mukiele – The Paris-born defender grew up on the other side of the Arc de Triomphe from the stadium he now calls home.
CB: Sergio Ramos – In his 18 months at PSG, Ramos has earned more red cards (two) than defeats (zero).
CB: Marquinhos – After watching his club captain hit the post with Brazil‘s final penalty against Croatia, Mbappe admitted: “He doesn’t deserve this.”
LB: Juan Bernat – When Bernat made his long-awaited return from an ACL injury last March, he highlighted it as a memorable day which marked the culmination of his recovery and some rare appreciation from the fans. “I don’t know if they’ll ever sing my name again,” he half-joked.
CM: Fabian Ruiz – In his early teenage years, Ruiz had to dramatically recalibrate his game to contend with the foot-long growth spurt he endured in the space of one year.
CM: Marco Verratti – The snapping midfielder’s first Ligue 1 own goal since 2015 came against Strasbourg last season.
CM: Vitinha – His new club captain Marquinhos led the praise for Vitinha’s adaptation to PSG. “He impressed us all,” the Brazilian admitted. “He adapted quickly, is very smart and athletic, he can find a lot of space.”
RW: Pablo Sarabia – The former Real Madrid academy player only ever made one, brief cameo appearance for Los Blancos’ first team.
ST: Hugo Ekitike – Mbappe may have jetted back to Paris, passing up the holiday his World Cup exertions warranted, but Galtier might not risk his World Cup Golden Boot winner from the start, turning instead to his even younger deputy.
LW: Neymar – A game which saw Neymar match Pele’s long-held record goal tally for Brazil’s men’s national team ended in tears as the Seleçao were dumped out on penalties by Croatia.
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