Preview: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Auxerre - prediction, team news, lineups

Ahead of the final round of fixtures before the World Cup break, Christophe Galtier's men boast a five-point lead at the top of the table, while their newly-promoted visitors are sitting safely in 15th place.

Match preview

Injury was quite literally added to insult for Lorient goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo when the early season surprise package welcomed PSG to the Stade du Moustoir last week, as the Merlus goalkeeper was robbed of the ball for Neymar's ninth-minute opener.

Mvogo had to come off shortly after, although Lorient were not giving up the ghost and drew level on the 53-minute mark through Terem Moffi's ninth goal of the season, but the returning Danilo Pereira powered a header home in the 81st minute to ensure that all three points would be heading to the capital.

The Parisiens juggernaut continues to gather momentum, with Galtier's side five points clear of second-placed Lens at the top of the table and still unbeaten after 14 matches of the new season - only Serie A pacesetters Napoli are also yet to suffer defeat in the top five European leagues this term.

Despite posting a six-game winning streak in all competitions and setting up a tasty Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich - a repeat of the 2020 final - defensive frailties have reared their ugly heads for PSG, who are without a clean sheet in their last four games.

However, Galtier's men head into Sunday's fixture with a 28-game unbeaten home run in Ligue 1 to protect, and it has been over 12 years since Les Parisiens lost to a newly-promoted side at the Parc des Princes, so Auxerre certainly have their work cut out for them here.

Following the acrimonious departure of Jean-Marc Furlan from the Auxerre hotseat, the visitors have turned to former Lorient boss Christophe Pelissier to try to keep them afloat in the top flight, as he did impressively with Les Merlus in back-to-back campaigns.

Taking four points from his first two games in charge is a surefire way for Pelissier to help endear himself to the Auxerre faithful, as after last week's 1-0 success over Ajaccio, AJA came back from a goal down to hold Troyes to a 1-1 draw last weekend.

Rony Lopes fired ESTAC in front just before the half-hour mark, but a carbon copy of the Portuguese's strike from Gaetan Perrin in the second half secured a point for Auxerre, who sit 15th in the rankings and two points clear of the four-team relegation zone.

The situation of Pelissier's side is hardly a secure one by any means, and while heading to the Parc des Princes having scored in each of their last seven games is a recipe for some success against the hosts' leaky backline, conceding in each of their last 14 away from home is not.

Sunday's game will mark the first meeting between PSG and Auxerre since the 2014-15 Coupe de France final, which the Parisiens won 1-0 thanks to Edinson Cavani's winner, but the visitors have gone unbeaten in each of their last four away games against defending Ligue 1 champions and will need history to be on their side here if they are to produce a pre-World Cup upset.

Paris Saint-Germain Ligue 1 form:

W

D

W

W

W

W

Paris Saint-Germain form (all competitions):

W

W

W

W

W

W

Auxerre Ligue 1 form:

D

L

D

L

W

D

Team News

Naturally, the biggest story from the PSG camp last weekend was the absence of Lionel Messi, who was dealing with an inflamed Achilles tendon, but the Argentine has since been pictured with the ball at his feet in training and should be fine for this one.

Presnel Kimpembe was also missing last week due to a similar problem but it also being put through his paces on the practice pitches, while Keylor Navas (back) and Fabian Ruiz (hamstring) will both need assessing.

Hugo Ekitike earned a rare start in the absence of Messi against Lorient but should now return to his usual spot on the bench, but Kimpembe has a fight on his hands to displace Pereira following the Portugal international's winner at the Stade du Moustoir.

Meanwhile, Auxerre striker M'Baye Niang will return from suspension here, having been sent off for the second time this season in the win over Ajaccio, but Kays Ruiz-Atil may not be able to feature against his old club due to a knock.

Theo Pellenard remains out for the long-term with his cruciate ligament rupture, while Youssouf M'Changama (calf) and Brayann Pereira (knock) also take up spots in the infirmary for the visitors.

Pelissier could be tempted to introduce Denys Bain into a back five against the rampant PSG attack, while Perrin is in with a strong chance of coming back in for Gauthier Hein out wide.

Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:

Donnarumma; Pereira, Marquinhos, Ramos; Hakimi, Verratti, Vitinha, Mendes; Messi; Mbappe, Neymar

Auxerre possible starting lineup:

Costil; Raveloson, Bain, Jubal, Jeanvier, Mensah; Sinayoko, Sakhi, Toure, Perrin; Niang

We say: Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 Auxerre

The expected return of Messi should increase PSG's creative output tenfold, and a Galtier squad almost at full-strength should have far too much for Auxerre on Sunday lunchtime.

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