This Wednesday, Paris Saint-Germain (1st in Ligue 1) faces Chelsea (6th in the Premier League) at the Parc des Princes in the first leg (second leg on March 17th) of their 2025-2026 Champions League Round of 16 tie. Kick-off is at 9 pm, CET. On Tuesday evening, Le Parisien published a probable PSG lineup.
Barcola – Dembélé – Kvaratskhelia
Neves – Vitinha – Zaïre-Emery
Mendes – Pacho – Marquinhos – Hakimi
Safonov
This is a very credible lineup, even though we know that coach Luis Enrique never gives any information to the press. He knows how to surprise everyone—the media, opponents, and fans alike—so we remain very cautious. Competition is always fierce within his squad, where he has also developed a versatility that allows him to have several options.
So, even though a sort of “ideal starting eleven” has emerged over the course of the matches, some doubts remain. For example, there’s the role of Désiré Doué, who could play on the wings or in midfield. Or even as a false nine. This could also depend on Ousmane Dembélé’s form. Not to mention the analysis of the opponent, with points to exploit and areas to avoid. Here, the newspaper suggests Doué on the bench, which would be significant.
There are also doubts surrounding João Neves’s starting position. There are concerns given that he’s just returning from injury, but his absence was short and he’s been training for a week.
So let’s wait for the official announcement for certainty; it will be about an hour before the match. Luis Enrique could very well surprise us again.
