Lionel Messi makes his long-awaited return to the PSG lineup on Sunday after finally recovering from his battle with COVID-19, but his teammate Kylian Mbappe might not be at the party when PSG host Stade de Reims at the Parc des Princes in the Ligue 1 game. .
Mbappé, fresh out of his advice from Zlatan Ibrahimovic to join Real Madrid next summer, he has suffered a groin injury and is questionable about taking part in the match.
PSG (first, 50 points) will be looking to return to their best form in Ligue 1 ahead of the Champions League round of 16 in mid-February. The French giants have won their first eight league games of the season in a row, and 13 of their first 15. They have drawn four of their last six. Mauricio Pochettino’s defense has also faltered of late, having conceded a goal in seven of his last nine, including two to 19th-ranked Bordeaux, one to 18th-ranked Lorient and one to 18th-ranked Saint-Etienne. in 18th place.
Having all three Messi, Mbappé and Neymar on the pitch together this season has been a nightmare. Neymar has been out since late November with a serious ankle injury and he is not expected to return to training for a few weeks. Messi has been missing since he contracted COVID-19 during the winter break in Argentina, and his recovery has sidelined him “longer than he thought.” Mbappé up to this point had avoided injury problems this season.
Reims (14th, 24 points), meanwhile, have been solid since early December, with just two losses in that period. But a 1-0 loss to 18th-placed Metz last time out feels like a rally killer. Still, this is a dangerous side having beaten Lyon and drawn with second-placed Marseille this season, so the Rojiblancos will not back down.
Sporting News will follow the match live and provide score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.
| 1 HOUR | 2H | Final | |
| paris st germain | — | — | — |
| Reims Stadium | — | — | — |
None
(All times Eastern)
PSG uniforms have names in Chinese to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
RMS Sport reports that both Kylian Mbappé and Sergio Ramos are fit to start the match. Great boost for PSG and further promotion for Reims.
???????? Selon nos informations, Kylian Mbappé and Sergio Ramos were the starters against Reims. More Lionel Messi made his debut at the rencontre sur le banc des replacements.
– RMC Sport (@RMCsport) January 23, 2022
PSG receives its last training session before the Reims match.
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who spent years locked in a rivalry with Lionel Messi during his days at Barcelona, has been steadfast in his support for the PSG star ahead of his return from COVID-19. It’s a strong statement of support for a former bitter rival.
Karim Benzema on Lionel Messi: “He needs time to adapt at PSG. Look at what he does on a pitch. In any case, you can’t criticize a player like that. In fact, whoever criticizes Messi doesn’t know anything about football” . This through Telefoot.
—Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) January 23, 2022
Lineups PSG vs Reims
PSG are far from at full strength as they continue to make their way towards the Champions League game in mid-February. He is expected to spearhead PSG’s attack early on, finally back from his bout with COVID-19, but ‘s status is in doubt due to a recently detected groin problem. He’s not expected to return to training with his ankle injury for another week or two, leaving the possibility that two of the three-headed monsters could miss action again.
, and they’re all out of commission at AFCON (and doing well, which will hopefully translate to good club form once they’re back). he remains out with lingering after-effects of COVID-19, and is also out thanks to a recent ankle injury that will keep him out for at least two more weeks.
The goalkeeper left the club for Mallorca, despite being on the bench the last time. he is fit to return from his one-game injury absence, meaning he could see the pitch as he spent his turn in the goalkeeping squad with. It’s a timely return for Navas as Donnarumma was sidelined at the last minute with a calf problem.
Navas (GK) – Kehrer, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Mendes – Herrera, Peredes, Verratti – Di Maria, Messi, Mbappe.
(Lineups posted one hour before kickoff)
For Reims, , and are all in AFCON duties and have qualified for the knockout stage, confirming their absences for a while longer. But Guinea-Bissau’s Guinea-Bissau were eliminated and, pending their travel schedule, could be available again for this match, albeit probably as a cargo management substitute.
The mid-table side are extremely short of midfielders, thanks to his injuries, and that means the newly signed could make his second consecutive start, although he hopes it will go better than his debut, which saw him dumped by Oscar. Garcia at the halftime break of the eventual loss to Metz.
he has returned from suspension and is likely to start top despite links to the Premier League. They will badly need his fit services as Reims have been whitewashed in each of their last four games against PSG in all competitions, outscored 11-0.
Rajkovic (GK) – Gravillon, Abdelhamid, Faes – Foket, Cdonde, Lopy, Locko – Kebbal, Adeline – Ekitike.
(Lineups posted one hour before kickoff)
- Date: Sunday, January 23
- Hour: 2:45 p.m. ET
- Television channel: be in sports
- Transmission: Fubo TV (free trial for new users), BeIN Sports Xtra (Authentication required)
The game PSG vs. Stade de Reims is available on television on BeIN Sports, or streaming through BeIN Sports Xtra, which is available through FuboTV. New users can take advantage of a free trial with the service.
Arsenal-Liverpool betting lines, selections and prediction
: PSG win and both score (+185)
: PSG 3-1 Reims
- money line: PSG -475 / Draw +600 / Reims +1300
- spread: PSG -2 (+105) / Reims +2 (-120)
- O/U 3 total goals: More than -115 / Less than +100
- Both teams to score: Yes +125 / No -160