Fresh from a demolition job of Pays de Cassel in the Coupe de France, Paris Saint-Germain resume Ligue 1 duties with the visit of Reims to the Parc des Princes on Sunday evening.
Christophe Galtier's side put seven unanswered goals past Pays in the cup last time out, while William Still's men enter the contest on the back of their own knockout success - a 3-0 win over Les Herbiers.
Match preview
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The Stade Bollaert-Delelis was the site of PSG's first Ligue 1 defeat of the 2022-23 season, with its occupants Lens serving up a 3-1 humbling of the champions earlier in January, but there would be no Coupe de France giant-killing when the capital club and sixth-tier Pays de Cassel locked horns in the North.
Five-star Kylian Mbappe came up with a quintet of goals against the minnows, while Neymar and Carlos Soler also got in on the act in a 7-0 romping, where Galtier was not afraid to field the majority of his big hitters in order to avoid the shock of all shocks.
Setting up a tantalising last-16 tie with Classique rivals Marseille, PSG - who have also returned from a Saudi Arabia sojourn with a 5-4 win over Cristiano Ronaldo and the Riyadh All-Stars XI - now set out to return to winning ways in Ligue 1 after being nullified by a depleted Rennes side 1-0 at Roazhon Park on January 15.
Galtier's champions still boast a three-point lead over Lens at the top of the table, and while Sang et Or could move level on points with PSG if they beat Troyes on Saturday, their inferior goal difference means that Les Parisiens should not be in any danger of losing first place for now.
PSG's customary domestic title is far from a guarantee, though - with Marseille also just five points behind the capital giants - but they have won each of their last seven Ligue 1 contests at the Parc des Princes and are unbeaten in 31 top-flight home games since a 1-0 loss to Lille in April 2021.
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Scoring multiple goals without reply was also on the agenda for Reims in the last 32 of the Coupe de France, as Still's men strolled past fourth-tier Les Herbiers, with prolific Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun breaking the deadlock from the spot before the break.
Alexis Flips and Martin Adeline also made the net ripple in the second 45 to seal a comfortable win for Reims, who now prepare to tackle Toulouse in the last 16, and the astonishing feats of Still are not going unnoticed.
The 1992-born coach has now gone unbeaten in 11 successive matches in all tournaments since taking over from Oscar Garcia, and a 0-0 draw with Nice in their last Ligue 1 contest has left Les Rouges et Blancs 11th in the Ligue 1 table, level with Les Aiglons and ninth-placed Lyon on 25 points.
Still's managerial inexperience has meant nothing for a defensively sound Reims side, who have kept clean sheets in each of their last four games in all tournaments, and their unbeaten run in Ligue 1 stands at an impressive 11 matches - although seven of those games have ended with the spoils being shared.
That run includes a goalless stalemate against PSG at the Stade Auguste-Delaune in October, but Les Parisiens have posted back-to-back 4-0 wins in their last two home contests against Reims, whose last goal against the hosts came all the way back in September 2019.
Team News
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PSG could once again be without two players for the visit of Reims, as Presnel Kimpembe is yet to return to team training, and Nordi Mukiele is facing a few weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring issue sustained against Rennes. Marco Verratti is back with the ball at his feet and could play a part, though.
Kimpembe recently hit the headlines after losing vice-captain duties to Mbappe - claiming that he only heard about the club's decision through the media - and Galtier should stick with the pairing of Sergio Ramos and Marquinhos in his absence.
Amid claims that he has performed a U-turn on his decision to sign a new PSG contract, Lionel Messi was unsurprisingly rested against Pays de Cassel but will now return as part of the fearsome front three.
Similarly, Reims could also be without just the two players in Nathanael Mbuku and Noah Jean Holm, although Thibault de Smet missed the win over Les Herbiers with a foot injury and is also a doubt for the contest.
Balogun's spot kick in the Coupe de France made it 11 goals in all tournaments for the 21-year-old this season, as he now prepares to face just two of the six players - in Neymar and Mbappe - to have scored more Ligue 1 goals than his 10.
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Ramos, Mendes; Vitinha, Verratti, Ruiz; Messi; Mbappe, Neymar
Reims possible starting lineup:
Diouf; Foket, Agbadou, Abdelhamid, Busi; Munetsi, Matusiwa; Ito, Zeneli, Flips; Balogun
We say: Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Reims
Still is yet to experience the disappointment of losing a competitive game as first-team manager, but the 30-year-old's hot streak will surely come to an end at the Parc des Princes fortress.
Even the Messi-Mbappe-Neymar trident will have to be patient against a well-drilled Reims backline, but the champions can still find their way through more than once to maintain their lead at the summit.
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Top tip
Ben Knapton
