Kylian Mbappé and Paris Saint-Germain will seek to maintain momentum in the middle of their first two UEFA Champions League games when they entertain Brest at the Parc des Princes on Saturday (kick-off 5pm CEST).
Mbappé scored twice as PSG kicked off their group-stage challenge with a 2-1 home win over Juventus. Ahead of Wednesday's trip to Israel to face Maccabi Haifa, they will hope to extend the unbeaten start to the 2022/23 Ligue 1 Uber Eats season that sees them head into Round 7 top of the table on goal difference from fellow Champions League participants Marseille.
"We enjoyed it for a few hours, and the players must have enjoyed it because they had a day off afterwards. The staff was focussing on the fixture list and the home game with Brest. We've analysed what went well against Juventus, and what didn't go quite so well, and we're looking ahead to our next Ligue 1 game," said coach Christophe Galtier.
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"We can't take our foot off the gas. When you represent Paris Saint-Germain, you have to get results, you have a duty to win. So, we have maintained the level of rigour and precision in our work. Friday morning's training session was very good. Everyone is focussed on the Brest game."
Neymar, who has — curiously — never been involved in a goal against Brest since his arrival in France in 2017, started last weekend's win at Nantes on the bench, only coming on late to replace Mbappé, and Galtier acknowledged he would employ squad rotation to face an opponent who has picked up just five points all season and conceded a club record 16 goals at this stage of the campaign.
Galtier will be without Renato Sanches, who is suffering a right adductor strain, so could hand Fabian Ruiz — suspended for Tuesday's game — his Paris debut alongside Marco Verratti in midfield with Vitinha given a breather ahead of the midweek challenge in continental competition.
"I don't like talking about 'substitutes', I prefer to talk about 'replacements'. Of course you need freshness. There will automatically be chances. Players such as Carlos Soler and Fabian Ruiz haven't quite got their bearings yet, because they came in four days before a Champions League game. So they haven't done much tactical work.
"The starting XI against Brest will be different to the one against Juventus, just as the one against Maccabi Haifa will differ from Saturday's. You have to keep everyone involved, while keeping the team in good physical shape," explained Galtier, who gave Soler his PSG debut when the recent arrival from Valencia replaced Lionel Messi on Tuesday.
"Firstly, they're happy to be here. They had been wanting to join us for some time. Carlos is up to speed as he had a normal pre-season, and played his last match with Valencia ten days ago. He simply needs to get to know his teammates and what I want from him on the pitch. He's a top player, very intelligent, so that will be quick.
"Fabian's pre-season was more difficult as he didn't play much. We thought he was going to join us earlier, and in recent weeks, he didn't want to start the season with Napoli. So, he trained on his own for 25 days, and is a little lacking in terms of rhythm. So he's working a little more than the others, but both are available and ready to start the game."
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Steve Mounié, Romain Del Castillo and Jérémy Le Douaron are all unavailable for Brest coach Michel Der Zakarian, who must be concerned how his team will cope at the Parc des Princes.
Beaten 7-0 by Montpellier in Round 4, the Brest boss has seen his team concede 11 times in their last three matches which — needless to say — have all ended winless; Paris, meanwhile, are unbeaten in 24 home Ligue 1 Uber Eats games and boast a +20 goal difference, equalling the record for this stage of a top-flight season set by Stade de Reims in 1952/53.
"They're a team with great players, great qualities. They are among the favourites to win the Champions League, that's their goal and they want to keep their momentum going in the league," said Der Zakarian, who has summer signing Noah Fadiga available for the first time since the right-back sustained an injury in the Round 1 defeat at Lens.
"You can see that all their players committed. They have the technique required, and they've had four days recovery. Whoever Christophe Galtier picks, they're going to be quality players."
Probable teams
PSG: Donnarumma; Danilo, Marquinhos, Kimpembe; Mukiele, Fabian Ruiz, Verratti, Bernat; Messi; Mbappé, Neymar
Brest: Bizot; Duverne, Dari, Hérelle, Brassier; Belkebla, Magnetti, Lees-Melou; Honorat, Slimani, Belaïli
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