French football’s 2018-19 campaign gets officially under way on Saturday as Ligue 1 Conforama’s last two champions – Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco -duke it out in the Trophée des Champions in Shenzhen, China.
4 August, 2018
Trophée des Champions
Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre, Shenzhen
Paris Saint-Germain – AS Monaco 
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As Paris Saint-Germain eye a record-equalling win in Shenzhen on Saturday, new coach Thomas Tuchel has his work cut out. Without his World Cup-winning French stars Kylian Mbappé and Presnel Kimpembe, nor the injured Edinson Cavani and Belgium’s Thomas Meunier, the German will need to re-shuffle his deck. But he does have a few aces up his sleeve…
Notably in the form of Neymar Jr and central defensive pair Thiago Silva and Marquinhos, whose early World Cup exit with Brazil has allowed them time to take holidays and recover before joining the squad.
4-3-3
“It has been tough to prepare for this match,” explained Tuchel who, despite having displayed a predilection for a three-man defence in the past, is set to keep faith with PSG’s habitual 4-3-3 for Saturday’s clash. “Even though the Brazilians are ready to play, I won’t be taking any risks with them. We want to win, of course, but it will be a tight and difficult match. “
In the absence of Meunier and long-term injury absenteee Dani Alves, youngster Colin Dagba is tipped for a start at right-back while Layvin Kurzawa should occupy the left flank. An experienced midfield three of Marco Verratti, Adrien Rabiot and Giovani Lo Celso should shore things up in the centre of the park while Neymar Jr will feature on the left of a new-look front three with Angel Di Maria playing through the middle and midfielder Christopher Nkunku on the right.
Falcao blow for Monaco
Meanwhile, Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim will also be putting together a new-look line-up, although this is more to do with some big summer departures – Fabinho to Liverpool and Thomas Lemar to Atlético Madrid for example – than post-World Cup fatigue, although this is the case for club captain and star striker Radamel Falcao, who will not feature.
“Radamel has had only four training sessions and we won’t be taking any risks of his picking up an injury,” said Jardim of the Colombia striker, who is fresh from making his World Cup debut. “We have a busy schedule in August.”
3-5-2
Although the principality club are on a run of six consecutive defeats to the Parisians in all competitions – a run that includes last season’s Trophée des Champions – Jardim is tipped to stick with his notion that a three-man defence is the way to go against the capital club.
This should see last season’s preferred central defensive pairing of Kamil Glik and Jemerson expand to include youngster Kévin N’Doram, behind an extremely young five-man midfield anchored by Belgium’s Youri Thielemans and also featuring new recruit Jean-Eudes Aholou. Up front, Jardim will be counting on the relatively experienced Keita Baldé and Rony Lopes, both of whom had strong campaigns last season, to do the damage.
Probable teams
Paris Saint-Germain: Buffon; Dagba, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Kurzawa; Verratti, Rabiot, Lo Celso; Nkunku, Di Maria, Neymar
AS Monaco: Benaglio; Glik, N’Doram, Jemerson; Mboula, Tielemans, Aholou, Pelé, Serrano; Baldé, Lopes
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