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

Luis Enrique's men staved off a late Brest fightback to defeat Les Pirates 3-2 last time out, while their visitors put three past Toulouse without reply in the Occitanie derby.

Match preview

Adding a few more pounds to his value, PSG's resident wonderkid Warren Zaire-Emery silenced the Stade Francis Le-Bre crowd with a piledriver of an opening goal last Sunday, before Kylian Mbappe's trademark near-post finish doubled the champions' advantage before the half-hour mark.

However, Brest - who have been one of the early-season surprise packages in the French top flight - were not giving up the ghost in front of the home crowd and remarkably levelled through Steve Mounie and Jeremy Le Douaron's headers, only for Mbappe to convert from a rebound in the 89th minute after being thwarted by Marco Bizot from the penalty spot.

Both Bizot and Gianluigi Donnarumma earned their keep in a pulsating battle, one in which victory for PSG added to their previous successes over AC Milan, Strasbourg and Rennes, where the reigning champions scored exactly three goals on each occasion too.

Settling into life under Enrique, Les Parisiens are still being kept off of top spot in the table by Nice for the time being, but there is only one point in it - an identical gap separates PSG from third-placed Monaco - while a +14 goal difference is the best of its kind in the division.

PSG's vulnerabilities have risen their ugly heads more often than not at the Parc des Princes in recent months, but the hosts have prevailed in each of their last four home contests without conceding a single goal, while scoring at least twice in each of their last six contests in front of their fervent supporters.

A couple of days before a meeting with their Occitanie rivals, Montpellier had been hit with severe sanctions by the LFP for a shocking incident in their abandoned clash with Clermont, where Lanciers goalkeeper Mory Diaw felt the full force of a firecracker thrown from the crowd.

As such, Michel Der Zakarian's men welcomed Toulouse to the Stade de la Mosson one point worse off than they would have been, but they pushed their off-field distractions to one side as Nigerian hotshot Akor Adams struck twice either side of a Khalil Fayad effort in a 3-0 romping.

Already sitting on three braces for the Ligue 1 season - including two in his last three contests - Adams is filling the Elye Wahi void particularly well for La Paillade, whose record of three wins, three draws and three defeats leaves them 11th in the league rankings at present.

Montpellier's three-goal trouncing of Toulouse marked only their second win from their last seven Ligue 1 battles, though, and only two points separates Der Zakarian's team from Metz in the relegation playoff place, but three clean sheets in their last four matches offers La Paillade some hope of subjecting PSG to a Friday fright.

The head-to-head column makes for grim reading for those of a Montpellier persuasion, though, as PSG have got the better of their mid-table visitors in each of their last nine meetings across all tournaments, and not since a goalless draw in September 2017 have the champions failed to net more than once over the course of 90 minutes against La Paillade.

Paris Saint-Germain Ligue 1 form:

L

W

D

W

W

W

Paris Saint-Germain form (all competitions):

D

L

W

W

W

W

Montpellier HSC Ligue 1 form:

L

D

D

W

L

W

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Team News

PSG's lack of defensive discipline in their five-goal thriller with Brest can partially be attributed to the absence of Marquinhos, who missed out owing to a groin injury, but the Brazilian centre-back could make a swift return to the side this weekend.

However, all of Nuno Mendes (hamstring), Marco Asensio (foot), Sergio Rico (head trauma), Presnel Kimpembe (fitness) and Keylor Navas (back) are not at Enrique's disposal, while out-of-favour left-back Layvin Kurzawa missed out last weekend due to illness.

Marquinhos's potential return would push makeshift centre-back Danilo Pereira down to the bench for the hosts, who could also recall the likes of Manuel Ugarte and Randal Kolo Muani to the XI despite their recent success.

Meanwhile, Montpellier head coach Der Zakarian revealed that Joris Chotard's withdrawal in the win over Toulouse was an enforced one due to muscular pain, but the midfielder is understood to have trained normally this week and should reprise his role in the centre.

Defender Maxime Esteve should also shake off the calf cramps that prevented him from completing the full 90 in the Occitanie derby, while Becir Omeragic (foot) may have a chance of making a rapid return to the matchday squad too.

As such, only Arnaud Nordin (hamstring) could be missing from the Paillade ranks at the Parc des Princes, where Der Zakarian should see no reason to alter the XI which convincingly put Toulouse to the sword.

Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:

Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar, Hernandez; Lee, Ugarte, Zaire-Emery; Dembele, Kolo Muani, Mbappe

Montpellier HSC possible starting lineup:

Lecomte; Sacko, Kouyate, Esteve, Sylla; Chotard, Ferri; Al-Tamari, Savanier, Fayad; Adams

We say: Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 Montpellier HSC

Montpellier have kept their back door bolted shut more often than not in recent weeks, but over the past six years, PSG have always found a way through the Paillade backline on more than one occasion, and Friday's encounter should be no different.

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