PSG Faces Lyon Amid Injury Crisis, Attacking Concerns Loom Large
PARIS, FRANCE – November 19, 2023 – Paris Saint-Germain enters Sunday’s Ligue 1 clash against Olympique Lyonnais significantly weakened by a mounting injury list, presenting a rare opportunity for Lyon to challenge the reigning champions. The Parisian squad is without Désiré Doué, injured last week in Lorient, and sustained further blows during their recent match against Bayern Munich, losing Ousmane Dembélé, Achraf Hakimi, and Nuno Mendes.
The injuries cast a shadow over PSG’s typically dominant form, a stark contrast to their strength when fully fit. However,despite the favorable context,analyst Jérôme Rothen remains cautious about Lyon’s chances,citing notable concerns about their own attacking capabilities.
“With all the injuries on the PSG side and what happened against Bayern, psychologically the Parisians took a slap. they took a lesson for half time,” Rothen explained on RMC. ”Behind,ther is the bad news of having three injured – Hakimi,Dembélé,Nuno Mendes - who are added to Doué. There are also players not ready to play a high-level match like Ruiz who has just returned. Lots of question marks, the Lyonnais must use them. The only downside is a big downside: it’s the offensive aspect. When you have Fofana injured, up front to score is nothing. Satriano in the Caen National squad, I’m not sure if he’s a starter.”
lyon, seeking to climb the Ligue 1 table and challenge for a European spot, has an opportunity to secure a home victory against PSG – a feat they haven’t achieved since 2019. A win would place them just one point behind the Parisians in the standings.
Despite the attacking concerns, Lyon can draw confidence from their defensive solidity, having already secured victories this season against strong opposition including Lens, Marseille, Lille, and Strasbourg. The question remains: can their defense overcome a wounded, but still dangerous, PSG?
