Can Kylian Mbappé outscore Jonathan David? Will captains Marquinhos or Jose Fonte inspire their team to victory? Or will Keylor Navas and Mike Maignan be the stand-out performers as Paris Saint-Germain and Lille go head-to-head on Saturday in a title race six-pointer — ligue1.com looks at three of the key individual duels that could decide the top-of-the-table contest at the Parc des Princes.
Keylor Navas vs. Mike Maignan
The PSG goalkeeper has the edge on his Lille counterpart in terms of experience and — most certainly — silverware with the three-time UEFA Champions League winner one of the game's all-time greats with the gloves.
He has had 10 fewer saves to make than Maignan this season — 54 to 64 — though PSG have conceded two more goals than Lille. Navas could justifiably argue that he has shared the goalkeeping duties with Sergio Rico (8 appearances) and Marcin Bulka (1 appearance), while Maignan can claim all the credit for the goalkeeper's role in LOSC's defensive record having played all 2,700 minutes of their 2020/21 top-flight campaign.
WATCH: Keylor Navas at work against Lyon
Now a regular member of the France squad, the former PSG youth academy man has developed into one of the division's top goalkeepers, and at 25 — nine years younger than Navas — is still on an upward trajectory with goalkeepers generally finding their peak in around 30, and Lille coach Christophe Galtier sees Maignan as Les Bleus' future number one.
"In the national team, he has two goalkeepers with great experience and quality ahead of him," said Galtier referring to current France number 1 and 2 'keepers Hugo Lloris and Steve Mandanda. "But he loves going to the national team and I imagine he's ambitious for the future. There will come a time — given their ages — when it's time for the succession…he has the right to have that ambition, it's legitimate."
Marquinhos vs. Jose Fonte
More than simply being the defensive linchpins of Ligue 1 Uber Eats' most watertight backlines, this duo are the undisputed leaders of their teams, wearing the captain's armband and leading by example.
WATCH: Captain Fonte saves Lille against Strasbourg
Marquinhos has stepped up yet another level since the summer departure of Thiago Silva, replacing his fellow Brazil international at the head of the team. His laser-guided distribution — he boasts 93.1% pass completion to Fonte's 90.5% — gives PSG the ability to play out from the back with assurance.
At 36, Fonte's experience alongside the youthful Sven Botman has been fundamental in Lille's success, just as it was last season with another young centre-back partner, Gabriel. The Portugal international is just as solid as ever winning 75% of his challenges whlie he has even contributed three goals, Marquinhos has scored just once.
Kylian Mbappé vs. Jonathan David
A slow start to David's Ligue 1 Uber Eats career means the Canada international has fewer than half of his French counterpart's league-leading tally of 20 goals this season, but the stats in 2021 tell a far closer story.
David has netted seven of his nine league goals since the turn of the year; Mbappé's double in PSG's win over Lyon just before the international break means he now has eight league strikes in the same timeframe.
Both men are outstripping their Expected Goals — Mbappé's xG is 18.2, David's 8.1 — and if you remove the PSG superstar's five penalty goals, the difference between the pair is slimmer still.
Mbappé, who is just over a year older than his Lille rival, has the edge in terms of assists with six to David's one, but the Lille man is required to put in more defensive work, pressing three times more often than the PSG forward and making three times as many challenges.
