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Without Messi and Mbappe, PSG's attack will lie squarely on Neymar's shoulders
Last weekend, in the absence of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe through injury, Lionel Messi clawed Paris Saint-Germain to victory from the jaws of defeat, and this weekend, it will be the turn of another PSG’s fearsome front three to carry the attacking burden on the team on his shoulders alone.
Neymar’s big task as Monaco host PSG
His task will be much harder than Messi, as the diminutive Argentine only had 12th-place Toulouse to deal with at PSG’s Parc de Prince, while Neymar will have to lead the club on the road against Monaco, one of the most in-form teams in Ligue 1.
If there is anyone who would revel in an opportunity to lead the PSG line in what could turn out to be a decisive fixture in the Ligue 1 title race, it is Neymar.
The problems of being a star in a star studded team
Despite being in incredible form for PSG this season, Neymar has scarcely gotten to play the hero and even his best performances in Ligue 1 this season have had equal or better performances from Messi, Mbappe or both in the same match.
Take the Brazilian’s two best performances this season for example. In PSG’s 5-0 demolition of Clermont, Neymar was exceptional, scoring one goal and assisting three more, but so was Messi who scored twice, assisted once and was jinking past Clermont defenders like a show pony on a course.
Inevitably, Messi was seen as the more dominant force in the blowout despite Neymar creating four big chances and being arguably the better player on the day.
The same goes for PSG’s 7-1 humiliation of Lille, where Neymar contributed to an incredible five of the seven goals PSG scored, but had to play second fiddle to the amazing Mbappe who also got a hat-trick and dominated the back pages.
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Against Monaco, Neymar has the chance to be ‘that guy’ in one of PSG’s most important fixtures, as the principality club look to put Les Parisiens’ title charge in jeopardy, but the biggest question remains can he actually be that guy for them?
Neymar has been PSG’s best player this season
You would not know it if you were not paying attention, but Neymar has actually had a phenomenal 2022/23 season so far.
He has scored 12 goals in 18 Ligue 1 matches and has assisted 10 more and it was his penalty that rescued a point for PSG in the reverse fixture against Monaco earlier in the season.
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He has also been directly involved in 33 goals (more than any other player) for PSG in 26 games in all competitions this season, and even if he had not done all this, the answer would still be ‘yes’ after all, he IS Neymar.
Injuries have not been kind to PSG this season and in addition to Messi and Mbappe, they will also be missing Nordi Mukiele, Renato Sanches, Presnel Kimpembe, and possibly Achraf Hakimi when they face Monaco, but they will still believe they have enough to leave Monaco’s Stade Louis II with something.
PSG facing tricky customers
They will have little choice as their season depends on this and a few other key fixtures in the month of February.
Monaco are tricky customers for PSG who have failed to beat them at home in the league since 2020, now more so as Les Rouge et Blanc are getting their season back on track, are unbeaten in five Ligue 1 games and are looking to break into the automatic Champions League qualification places.
Monaco have been impressive in Ligue 1 in the new year and are barely a month out from their 7-1 thrashing of Ajaccio, so you can expect them to be anything but willing participants in a PSG procession.
Their desire for a top-two finish in the league, and PSG’s obsession with being the best team in the land mean that this will be the fixture to be fixated on in Ligue 1 this weekend.
Friday in Ligue 1
On the opening day of the game week, Nice will host 18th place Ajaccio, looking to compound L'ours’ misery, and will also be hoping that their new signing, Super Eagles’ Terem Moffi, will be able to get off the mark for them.
Moffi had scored 12 times in Ligue 1 for Lorient before moving to Nice in the winter transfer window, and Les Aiglons need him to continue from where he left off.
Saturday in Ligue 1
In addition to PSG’s mouthwatering tie against Monaco, the only other game in Ligue 1 on Saturday sees second-place Marseille travel to mid-table Clermont, hoping to either close the gap with PSG at the top of the table or put some distance between themselves and Monaco, who are currently only two points below them.
Sunday in Ligue 1
Sunday in Ligue 1 carries the bulk of the league’s fixtures as Toulouse take on Rennes, while bottom-of-the-table Angers host second-from-bottom Auxerre looking to finally enter double digits for points this season.
Sunday will also see sixth place Lille who still have dreams of Europe next season host 17th place Strasbourg who are looking to avoid the nightmare of relegation.
Montpellier, who have lost four of their last five Ligue 1 matches also take on Brest who have drawn four of their last five but are still level on points with their Sunday opponents.
Reims will also play Troyes on Sunday, while Nigeria’s Moses Simon and his Nantes side will host Lorient.
Sunday’s big ticket fixture will see Lyon host Lens in a fixture that could severely hamper the visitors’ chance at a shock Ligue 1 title depending on results elsewhere.
Expert predictions for Ligue 1 game week 23
In-house betting expert Stephen Oladeinde gives the best predictions from each game in Ligue 1 round 23 with odds from Bet9ja.
Nice vs Ajaccio: Nice to win @ 1.58 odds
Clermont-Foot vs Marseille: Marseille win or draw @ 1.14 odds
Monaco vs PSG: both teams score @1.51 odds
Toulouse vs Stade Rennes: over 2.5 goals @ 1.74 odds
Montpellier vs Brest: Under 3.5 goals @ 1.30 odds
Reims vs Troyes: Reims to win @ 1.57 odds
Angers vs Auxerre: under 3.5 goals @ 1.25 odds
Lille vs Strasbourg: lille to win @ 1.48 odds
Nantes vs Lorient: Nantes win or draw @ 1.24 odds
Lyon vs Lens: both teams score @ 1.68 odds
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