Mauricio Pochettino has announced Paris Saint-Germain’s line-up for the third group stage match in the Champions League against RB Leipzig. The Argentinian coach does not have access to Mauro Icardi, who is absent due to private circumstances. Neymar and Ángel Di María (suspended) are also not on the side of the leader in Group A. The match between PSG and Leipzig starts at 9 p.m. and is led by referee Marco Guida.
There has been a lot of talk about Icardi in recent days. The attacker was included in the squad by Pochettino, but has indicated that he does not feel able to play due to an impending breakup with his wife Wanda Nara. The latter has announced a divorce and hired a private investigator to find out what Icardi was up to. Icardi was absent from PSG training on both Sunday and Monday in an attempt to save his marriage.
For Pochettino, the cancellation of Icardi is a loss, as the PSG trainer still has to do without Neymar against Leipzig. “The priority is the health of the players,” the coach said at the press conference. “Neymar has a small problem. We hope it will be a matter of days to get him fit. In training it turned out that he cannot play.” Leandro Paredes is also out of action due to a muscle injury, while ngel Di María is suspended.
Pochettino once again prefers Keylor Navas in goal, who seems to be going to goalkeeper all matches in the Champions League this season. In the vanguard, Neymar’s place is filled by Julian Draxler. It is the third time that PSG and Leipzig will meet in the Champions League. Previously, both teams met in the semi-finals of the 2019/20 season and the group stage in 2020/21. Paris Saint-Germain usually comes out strong against German opponents, as seven of the eight matches have been won.
Line-up Paris Saint Germain: navas; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Nuno Mendes; Herrera, Gueye, Verratti; Messi, Mbappe, Draxler
Line-up RB Leipzig: Gulasci; Klostermann, Orban, Simakan, Angelino; Mukiele, Laimer, Adams, Haidara; André Silva, Nkunku