This Sunday, for Matchday 21 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season, Paris Saint-Germain (1st) faces Olympique de Marseille (3rd) at the Parc des Princes (kick-off at 8:45 PM, CET). Ahead of this match, the press has been trying to predict the starting lineup that Parisian coach Luis Enrique will field.
Le Parisien (4-3-3) –
Barcola – Dembélé – Lee
Doué – Vitinha – Neves
Mendes – Pacho – Marquinhos – Zaïre-Emery
Safonov
L’Equipe (4-3-3) –
Barcola – Dembélé – Doué
Mayulu – Vitinha – Neves
Mendes – Pacho – Marquinhos – Zaïre-Emery
Safonov.
Any team is possible, but caution is still advised, especially since Luis Enrique never gives the media any hints about his choices. He often manages to surprise, at least with one or two players. This was the case last week in Strasbourg (Senny Mayulu and Ibrahim Mbaye in the starting lineup), and it could happen again. We don’t know exactly where the competition for places stands on a daily basis, nor the players’ precise physical condition. There’s also the analysis of the opponent, with spaces to exploit or not, as well as other elements to take advantage of or protect.
PSG has had time to prepare, and then doesn’t play again until Friday (against Rennes, Matchday 22). There’s no reason for any particular rotation in this Classico, which is also very important in the race for the top spots. It remains to be seen what the “ideal starting eleven” will be today, given the opponent.
Lee Kang-In (24-year-old midfielder/forward) could have a say after an excellent performance off the bench in Strasbourg. Ousmane Dembélé (28-year-old forward) was far less convincing, while Désiré Doué (20-year-old midfielder/forward) was quite satisfactory. There’s also some doubt surrounding the potential playing time for Fabian Ruiz (29-year-old midfielder). Many factors are at play, so it’s best to remain cautious until the official announcement, approximately one hour before the match.
