Eerie Similarities Make PSG-Lyon Clash Tough to Call
Undoubtedly the biggest game in France's Ligue 1 this weekend sees the division’s top 2 sides go head-to-head in a mouth-watering encounter.
After 8 games Lyon and PSG are tied at the top in every sense having won 5, drawn twice and lost once each. Not only that but both team's have an identical goal difference, scoring 14 and conceding 7 in the league, meaning this game is extremely tough to call.
Travelling Implications
With big-spending PSG holding the home advantage, one may give them the slight edge, with form also on their side having managed an unbeaten run of 10 games in all competitions including 9 victories. However, with both sides in European action in midweek, Lyon will be confident that their 2 days of extra recovery time and preparation will see them win come Sunday.
Lyon, top due to alphabetical order alone, played Dinamo Zagreb, importantly at home, on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, PSG have to make the short flight to Spain to face an arguably trickier tie against Athletic Bilbao, despite being in the Europa League, on Thursday evening.
When taking into consideration the home advantage, PSG have won their last 3 games at Parc des Princes following an opening day shock defeat to Lorient. Away from home Lyon have dropped 5 points from their last 3 games to allow PSG back into the title race early on, surprisingly losing out to Caen last time out.
Team News
PSG will be without striker Guillherme Hoarau for a couple of months but have a striker in form in new signing Kevin Gameiro. Record signing Javier Pastore is quickly finding his feet in French football after his big money move while fellow newcomer Mohammed Sissokho made his debut from the bench in the 3-0 win over Montpellier last time out and could feature.
Lyon will have French international goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who was sent off after conceding the deciding penalty in the aforementioned 1-0 defeat to Caen, back from suspension. Yoann Gourcuff and Lisandro Lopez have both missed out through injury in recent weeks, meaning the likes of Gonalons and Gomis will need to continue their fine form for the visitors. Brazilian duo Cris and Ederson are also both absent through injury, while Grenier is also likely to miss out having hobbled off in midweek Champions League action.
Left Sided Threats
A look at PSG's attack zones (above left) from their win over Montpellier last time out shows that they look to utilize the threat of Brazilian Nene as much as possible, with 41% of their attacks coming from the left compared to 30% from the right. Despite being attacking wingers, both Nene (10) and Menez (7) tend to cut inside, meaning Siaka Tiene has been asked to support Nene on the left, providing the second most crosses per game (0.8), only behind the Brazilian's 2.6.
Lyon play an almost identical system, and look to use their own Brazilian left-winger as much as possible, with Michel Bastos having started the season in fine form. Lyon made a weighty 44% of their attacks down the left against Bordeaux, with Bastos profiting with a goal and assist. A look at the player position map (above right) shows Bastos (11) played further forward than lone frontman Gomis (18) while Alexandre Lacazette (7) played much deeper on the opposite flank.
Bought vs Brought Up
Pastore vs Gonalons Head-to-Head
Sunday's game sees two of Ligue 1's most talked about players go head-to-head, though both have worked their way into the sides through different means. Argentine Javier Pastore was signed from Italian side Palermo for a French record fee of around €40m despite interest from the likes of Chelsea. Lyon midfielder Maxime Gonalons is a product of the clubs youth system having joined the French giants as a 10-year-old in 1999.
Both have begun the 2011/12 season in fine form and at 22, represent two of the top young talents in Europe, and one may play a big part in attempting to shackle the other this weekend.
Gonalons plays alongside Kim Kallstrom in Lyon's 4-2-3-1 formation, while Pastore plays as the central attacking midfielder in the same system at PSG, meaning the former could be tasked with controlling the latter. In just 5 starts and 1 substitute appearance Pastore has already played a part in 6 PSG goals, scoring 4 and assisting 2. Gonalons has also opened his account but in his deeper role has understandably posed less of a goal threat, with 1 goal and 1 assist in his 7 starts.
Pastore's creative role sees him attempt the killer pass often, as well as varying his range more, leading to a seemingly meagre accuracy of 72%. Gonalons, on the other hand, looks to keep the ball moving and more importantly, keep possession, picking out the simple pass to great affect with an 87% accuracy in comparison. Pastore's guile and intelligence however, sees him create 2.3 chances per match, though with 2.9 interceptions per game, Gonalons will be confident of cutting out his opponent’s threat.
The PSG man's trickery has seen him complete an average of 2 successful dribbles per game so far, and he may look to target Kallstrom over Gonalons in this sense, as the Swede has been dribbled past 1.3 times per match compared to the young Frenchman's 0.8. When it comes to tackling Gonalons has also excelled with 3 per game, only bettered by Kallstrom for Lyon, so the visitors will be keen to get at Pastore early, with the Argentina international having been dispossessed 1.8 times per game on average.
Key Player Stats Comparison
Gameiro vs Gomis
Both sides have a France international striker who has hit the ground running this season, with PSG's summer signing Kevin Gameiro starting his career at Parc des Princes well with 5 goals in 8 starts. Lyon's Bafetimbi Gomis has gone one better, notching 6 strikes in the same amount of appearances, but both have similar styles and will offer similar threats to their opposing defences.
Gameiro has struck 2.9 shots per game, meaning he has scored with every 4.6 shots he has taken, while Gomis' figure in this regard is almost identical despite his advanced tally. The Lyon man's higher 3.4 shots per game means that he has notched every 4.5 shots at goal taken, proving that both strikers are in similarly clinical form.
Neither player has picked up an assist as of yet this season, playing as a lone frontman supported by a three-pronged attacking midfield, with Gomis the less fortunate not to have done so having made 1.3 key passes per game to Gameiro's 0.9. Despite having a smaller frame, the PSG man has protected the ball slightly better, though both have proved slightly costly having been dispossessed 1.8 and 2 times per game respectively.
With these two teams already shaping up as early season favourites, both will be desperate to get one over on the other, with PSG aiming to prove that they are the force to contend with in Ligue 1 following an action-packed transfer window.
