Continuing their quest for an elusive continental crown, Paris Saint-Germain host Aston Villa on Wednesday, when they get their Champions League quarter-final tie under way at Parc des Princes.
Having just celebrated their latest Ligue 1 title, as Luis Enrique rotated his squad for Saturday’s 1-0 win over Angers, PSG will quickly switch focus to unfulfilled European ambitions.
So, after Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Demebele were all rested at the weekend, they should feature in the starting XI that faces Villa.
Dembele – who has averaged over one goal per game across his last six Champions League appearances – is set to join Barcola and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in an attacking trident, with Goncalo Ramos and Desire Doue dropping down to the bench.
Only South Korea star Lee Kang-in is still sidelined by injury, but the hosts will also be missing their defensive rock and club captain, as Marquinhos must serve a suspension; Lucas Beraldo should therefore partner Willian Pacho at the back.
Behind them will stand the giant frame of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who starred in PSG’s dramatic penalty shootout win over Liverpool in the last 16.
Meanwhile, midfield metronome Vitinha has completed 93% of his passes made under high-intensity pressure in the Champions League this season, and he also leads the charts for line-breaking passes in the knockout rounds so far (77).
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Beraldo, Pacho, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz; Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Barcola
> Click here to see how Aston Villa could line up for this match
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