PSG are eager to get into gear and put their fluid football into practice, as they take on a Toulouse side who have started the season brightly.

Carles Martinez will be a happy man following Toulouse’s start to the new Ligue 1 season as they get set for a daunting challenge against PSG. Tasked with a tricky away game to OGC Nice, they went there and got a narrow 1-0 win to kick-start their campaign on a positive note.

Last weekend, Toulouse hosted the tricky Brest, and despite having a lesser share of the possession, they ran out 2-0 winners in the end. Martinez is now tasked with hosting reigning champions PSG, a team they are incidentally ahead of in the standings, albeit on goal difference. Toulouse have a big challenge on their hands against a side they have only two victories in the last 14 years on home soil.

Meanwhile, there are still question marks about PSG’s fitness levels, as they practically did not have a pre-season. Their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup has affected their early performances this season, although they have come unscathed from each of their games so far, starting with the UEFA Super Cup win over Tottenham.

However, their opening two games in Ligue 1 have been a bit underwhelming when reading the scoreboard, with both those clashes ending in a 1-0 win to Luis Enrique’s men. PSG have indeed improved their performances game by game, and their volume of shots indicates they are on the right path. Now, they will hope to put on a show when they travel to take on Toulouse to keep their 100% record this season intact.

Team News & Tactics

Toulouse

Toulouse will be without long-term absentee Niklas Schmidt as well as new arrival Abu Francis, with the latter yet to feature for his new club since making the move this summer. Similarly, Rafik Messali is also yet to feature, which will cast doubts over his availability at least from the start against PSG.

Carles Martinez will aim to keep many of those stars in the lineup that have helped the team secure two wins in two this season. Julian Vignolo could be handed his debut, albeit from the bench, as the manager will see him as an option to call upon during the game.

Martinez will set up his team with a back three of Mark McKenzie, Charlie Cresswell, and the in-demand Jaydee Canvot, with Djibril Sidibe and Dayann Methalie stationed in the wing-back roles.

Mario Sauer and Cristian Casseres will be the main midfielders for Toulouse against PSG, while Yann Gboho and Aron Donnum will be in the more advanced role behind striker Frank Magri.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Restes, Canvot, McKenzie, Cresswell; Sidibe, Sauer, Casseres, Methalie; Gboho, Donnum; Magri

PSG

Luis Enrique might have to deal with a few fitness-related issues with his players before naming the ideal starting lineup for the Toulouse clash. Key attacker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia missed the win over Angers, and he is a considerable doubt for this game as well as the upcoming international games with Georgia.

Hence, the winger might miss out at the weekend, while there are doubts over Presnel Kimpembe and Senny Mayulu are also considered unavailable.

Luckily, Enrique has plenty of options to cover for those missing out, with Bradley Barcola likely to come for Kvaratskhelia in the lineup. There are some transfer speculation surrounding PSG players, with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma likely to leave before the deadline, while Carlos Soler is also expected to depart.

As for the PSG starting lineup, Lucas Chevalier will assume his place between the sticks against Toulouse, while new arrival Illia Zabarnyi will feature alongside Marquinhos at the back. Enrique will have his preferred midfield trio of Joao Neves, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz, while Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele complete the front three.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Chevalier; Hakimi, Zabarnyi, Marquinhos, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz; Doue, Dembele, Barcola

Key Stats

• Toulouse have won their last three matches in Ligue 1.
• There is an opportunity for Toulouse to win four straight Ligue 1 games for the first time since 2011
• PSG have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven away matches against Toulouse in all competitions.
• PSG won both meetings between the two teams last term.

Player to Watch

Ousmane Dembele

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The Frenchman will be one of the catalysts for Luis Enrique’s planning for the campaign ahead across all fronts, and he would want Dembele to put in a top performance before the international break. Dembele will be a key star, but much like all of his teammates, he, too, is yet to kick into gear.

The performances are expected to come sooner rather than later, as Dembele will have the spotlight on him as he leads this PSG side against Toulouse. He will want to lay the marker with a goal or two, to help PSG climb to the top of the Ligue 1 standings this weekend.

Prediction

Toulouse 0-2 PSG

Toulouse might have started their season with a 100% record, but they are now faced with the challenge of facing PSG in this huge home clash. There is always a chance to cause an upset, although the Parisians are the firm favourites to take three points.

Not only three points, PSG are expected to explode into their usual self, and start scoring multiple goals to give themselves a boost of sorts. Lucas Chevalier is also expected to keep a third consecutive clean sheet in the league since signing for the club during the summer.